The morning call., 1890-08-22
A FATAL DANCE.


uysef-by myself. l spoke them savagely, Bit
terIy, while gazing like professional beauty
with z dineieuee-at my own image III looking
glass.
What right had to loye-I, one OF the most
uulovely OF mOrtalS? What right, least oil al, 10
love the most lovely OF womanklnd2 How could
those rugged features, those bushy lowering
brows, that form, awkward and unsymmetrlcai
as that Of an orang-Outang, find favor in any
Womau's eyes? a handsome, well-bullt, SELL
satisfied. dalntly dressed dandy soldier ike
Alien Curtis, with his graceful airs and ever
ready complmenis-that is the sort OF creature
whom ladies' like. What chance had such as l,
with my uglrness and clumslness, against Such
rival.
YET. oh. how loved her! Mad hopeless, as l
Thought NV passion 10 be- II burned within me
like a furnace Before my eyes the lace ana
form EIiuor Ayton were even present, as dis
timely as my own rude features In mat hateIu
looktug-glass. She was sweet, flesh, puIe Eli
plsh eiiI fair soft, graceful in every outline, Ia
every attitude, with tender deep blue eyes
whose very glance made my heart leap and ache.
Nv.feellnes found vent when | was alone. but
al no other time. In her presence no language
of passion, no hint Of love- ever passed my lips
! was, WHEN win her, lie dull COMMONPLACE
student that she doubtless found me. She could
never guess-so l lh0ught-lhe secret that lay
hidden III my bosom.
IL was otherwise with Allen Curtis, the man
who rlvaled me and hated me as hated lilm
he was forever counting her favor. lIaINlng her
III pretty con pliments and raising TIE bushes 10
lei cheeks. II was impOSs ibe hut that she must
have lreIerrt d bis society 10 mine, and thought
uf him as she could never think OF me.
Yet, II sic Gid not prefer my company, she
seemed TO like II well enough. had no small
talk for hei-uothlug TO speak Cl but my dry
musty books aud my tame adventures In foreign
lands, aud so iOith. She used 10 say that my
conversation gave her pleasure. that had a way
OF making everything Interesting 10 heI II was
very kind o! her to confess II. III would have
F1tstF laFrf. a aUFF INA
tened al any time 10 Allen CurllS' chatter Than
my grave prosy talk al its best.
We were both OF us on Il visit al her fathers
country. seat, ana each had many OPPORTUNITIES
OF walking by her side In the Italian garden
fronting Ine old Tudor Hall, or in the wood and
glades Of the thiCky limIe ed park. lie awaited
himself, no doubt, OF his opportunities, "tlle l
neglected nine. Many ana many a lime cursed
my false IIide, MY dlflidehce Iny-oh, called II
many pretty names, but, aileG all, II mad only one
Ses,i was afraid-airaid to scare her from me
by any rash hint Of my passion. II could not
secure her Affection al least II was clear that L
had her freudshp-aud that was something 10
feed The heart OF a man starving for love Ii l
lost that, | lost all-and feared 10 lose H.
We had been strOllIug 10 THIS way one sunny
afternoon through the III plantation That skirted
Sir Herbert Ayton's AK, and were Slowly Saun-
teting back TO the hall. / had been talking away
IN my usually du style, which she was pleased
10 call earnest and "eluQuent,' about some
"reminiscences OF a yacht voyage among the Nor
weglan fjoIds. she listened attehllVeIy enough,
though | felt conscious thai was boring her,
auO burned TO turn The conversation 10 some
lighter subject; but, when attempted To DO so,
MY tongue seemed sIelbOund. Alter a while
size startled me by saying:
Il nope you VIII 20 to tue county ball?,
''The county ball - l echoed. Not :"
"On," She cried, "dOn't say that. | Should be
SO disappointed II you were not there"
Indeed! Nby?''
lit win be SO pleasant, YOU know-such
brilliant affair. Aud am sure you would en-
Joy T." ..,.. =, ,o.o
t.4f1 ed q Them and dislike them.n
Il WAS a Iude. brutal speech, know; but
was always making such boOrish blunders. AS
usual, she took no notice OF my beailshness, but
Oh. Mr.. Gratwlcke do oblige me and accept
Lold LiutOu's invitation! II would look so
strange II you were not to 60! why, you would
be lie only one OF cur house party absent!'
shall return 10 London before The day OF Tie
ball. Miss AytOu."
" What? You are not going TO leave so
soon? That would be unkIud."
" Butt pleaded, " SHALL be wholly out Of
NY element there For one Thing, have not
danced Tor years, and have quite forgotten The
. You need not dance" she said. "You can
lOOs on, o. talk with people. am sure you Will
be used"
Look on-wBlle she was being whlsked round
the room in tie arms OF other men-in his arms,
no doubt! Yes, should be much amused!
But / could not resist her persuasion; ere we
reached The hall steps she had conquered, and
had promised, alas, 10 go 10 the country ball!
| suppose il was brilliant Affair."" such
things are accounted. To NE il was ineXpressi-
bly, dul and tlresome. There was great deal
OF glare and noise and Eeat, vast HnOnnt OF
chatter and artificial geniay; the ballroom was
thrOuEed with young and IIetty women, and
women who were neither young nor pretty ana
then we're plenty OF titled people and squlres,
military and gentlemen farmers-all lie
usual crowd, IN short, that one meets at a coun-
try bail.
myself felt very much as l expected TO feel,
like fish out OF water. For one thing my dress
clothes sat awkwardly upon mel was at all
times uncomfortable IN them-l had au uneasy
sense that locke d ike hired walter as stood
clumsIly resting the weight q my body on one
leg and painfully at loss what 10 DO win my
hands
10 This uucOugeulal assembly. aud That was the
prospect OF seeing tile woman L WOTshlped with
ali my soul. / had ensconced myself IN an OBJ
scure corner OF the great hail. well out OF reach
OF lie buZZing crowd. whence 1 could observe
all That passed without being noticed Win
strange Inconsistency / longed 10 Catch ElinOr
AyJon's eve, dbd yet shrank from it. was eager
10 exchange glauces with her, yet feared lest she
should single me out Tor any special attention
and make ME conspicuous and, therefore, rldl'
culOus.
ally occurred. AS she passed, leaning on the
ann Of her father, her slight, graceful figure
IoImng such pleasant contrast to his tail,
manly, seml-military form, she caught sight OF
me ID my corner, and gave NE sweet smile aud
familiar nod Of recognition, and followed her
with hungry eyes till she was lost IN the crowd.
When next l saw her size was in tile aims OF
young hunting squire, WALKING. Oh. how
enyed the man who clasped her waisti l should
NO critic OF daueing. an art had never cultivated
and always desplSed; but could not fail to per-
ceiye hat she was peIiec, dancer-easy, light
and graceful in every movement and step and
swing, as tie conventional phrase goes, seeming
hardly TO press the ground with her tiny feet.
Naturally she was greatly IN request Sue was,
indeed. the belle of the ball and partner after
partner came 10 solicit her hand.
All this made me feel very bitter and jealous,
in spite OF every effort on my part TO repress
such unreasonable sentiments. l was not ieal-
Gus Of lie men themselves. To her they were
mere acqualntances, perhaps pleasing as part
DeTs, but that was all. Ii was a dOg-in-the-
manger sort of feeling that made me envy them
the enjoyment which l could not share.
Hitherto. my rival, Allen Curtis, had not, so
far as had observed, approached beE; but pres
emily burned with indignation to see him go up
10 her IN one OF the intervals, and, with his hate
fully insinuatIng emile and bow. ask her for a
dance. She replied with an arch glance, and
said some hing which L could not hear, but
which evidently disappointed him She must
done so filled me with exullauon. Yet The next
moment l reflected thai, after all, she might
have excused herself only Tor some particular
dance, and would crafty him later on.
Meanwhile, escorted by her partner, she was
moving toward the spot where stood. l thought
she would pass me as she had done many a time
before, but nO-t0 my mingled delight and alarm,
she made straight for my lair, as may call II,
aud, withd rawIug her hand from her partners
arm, made him pretty half bow and dismissed
him. Then she came up 10 me aud said:
=" am so pleased you are here Mr. Gratwickei
ii is very good of you 10 keep your promise.
hope you are being amused; but you look so
lonely in this cOrner!"
I" am comfortable as l can be here, Miss
AytOn," l answered. " / told you should feel
cut of my element in place like this-and the
PLAIN Truth Is that do"
Then should be sorry that induced you TO
come" she said; but Ihere-you really must
enjoy yourself ike other people, and not look SO
duIl aud grumpy! Como howl am committing
horrible breach of etiquette in asking you, but
want you to dance with met"
Dance with hefl II she had asked me to open
the window near Which we were standing aud
leap down mo the grounds below, the proposal
would have given Inc pleasure compared with
The terrible request she had just made.
But ] cannot Dance" replied.
Surely you can't mean thatl" she said.
"Have you never learnedY'
"Yes. in my yOnlh; but l have long since
given up such fOllirs, as i regard lhemY'
Well, ! you Will PICK up the step
again. IL is quite easy. and l Will help you
through. On, DON'T be afraid You may not be
as swan-llke' as some of these men, but am
sure yUu viii do better than others. Why look
Al that clumsy fellow, Major Stubbs prancDg
round there with Miss Belionl See how lie
bungies and bOunces abOut-and yet his face
seems radiant with pleasure"
lie IS evidently making TOOL OF himself"
REPLIED, and you want me TO do the same"
W, II you talk Ike that" said Elinor, with
Pielly pout, II must give you up! But mol