Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-02

| Win lfeSn access OF nope, begged me to
exchange my dinner card for his. Mr..
Temple, who he'd by this time turned
round, objected strongly TO Mr. Charters
plans; and of course the latter persisted,
though he osght to have been attending to
his own girl. They both appealed to me 50
violently that | was little afraid of max
I ing mirtake, and felt for moment that
it would be better to keep my card as safe
method of settling the dispute, but |
| quickly recovered myself, and bade Mr..
Temple remember that he had taken his
| eyes on nae, and naturally ought to suffer
for it. Mr. Charter accordingly kept my
card, and began writing the names of the
party for me on his own, labor mKGh
interrupted By scernful remarks from Mr..
! Temple, who, l Instantly saw, could be
very amusing II he wished
In the course of time Mr Charter finished
the card, and presented it to noe with an air
| OF triumph; but his face fell when al
| lowed Mr.. Temple to persuade me to accept
his boutonniere and give him one of my
roses in place Of it. Up to this time had
felt a little that ought not to encourage
another girls man too much; but my con-
science hardened with my success, espe-
cia1y as Mr.. Charter had taken in Lefty
] =
behavior to NE in the dressing room, and
now laid myself out to ksep both men talk
ing TO me as long as possible, so smiled at
all Mr.. Charters somewhat glazing COM
pliments- l capped Mr.. Temples quota
tons, shook my head with a look that
might have meant anything at the insinu-
atoms Of each about the other, till finally
Out not until the Roman punch came
round) Mr.. Charter found that his staying
powers were not so good as those of his ad-
versary, and turned to Lefty with a some
what guilty look. She, as l hoped, and
subsequently was assured. was angry
enough to have upset the salad dressing
over me.
As Mr.. Charter turned away, Mr. Tenn
pie gave vent to prohgious sigh of pre-
tended relief. AT last l have you to nv
self" said he.
But you have been talking to me all the
evening" I answered.
''Mr. Charter has been listening to me
too"
do you grudge me the attention of an
other man: Oh, how selfish is your sex!'
Rather, how grasning is yours! You
have made me wait till now for an oppor-
tunity to say what you know L have been
dying to say to YOU
As he muTmured these last words his
face wore an expression of the most intense
earncstness- there was a twinkle IN
the corner of his eye. I determined if he
was going TO be outrageous | would be out,
rageous too.
Perhaps" said, with an air of diff
dence, 'pekhsps | was afraid to listen to-
you"
L saw that he would have liked to laugh,
but did not wish to spoil the fiirtation.
MAY say it," he whispered again, in
Passionate tones.
pretended to look at my fan, and then
turned round to him. Yes said.
He pretended to hesitate. And yet 1
dare not, SO soon," he said Then he be-
gan to repeat:
81 vous croyez que je vais dire
Qui Jose aimer,
Je he saurais pour I'M empire
Vous Ia Romruert'7
vas staggered by this; 1 had not ex-
pected him to be indirect laid down my
fork and looked at him with NOOK aeita-
ton. ''Oh, be explicitl'' 1 cried. do not
fear! let me encourage your
A Slight smile fickered round his lips
for moment. Then his face grew grave
and he said in a low tone, Heavens, how
beautiful your eyes are!'
Twas caught. blushed- faltered-I had
to surrender. 1 laughed till l bushed
again for laughing, and then laughed for
biushing again.
After this our Irritation had to stop al
together or take a more really serious turn
Shall leave the reader to imagine upon
which course we decided. l am very glad
that Mr.. Temple was not mischievous, for
| might easily have been induced TO dis
grace myself He was sufficiently to blame
for making me fiirt with him as wildly IS
did-though, after all, it marie very little |
difference, for every girl at the table was |
almost as excited as | was myself. When !
the crackers were being pulled | looked |
round again-my first general glance since |
the beginning of dinner. Everybody was |
talking at once; private raids were being !
made upon the dishes of fruits and sweet
meats-a candle fell down in front of Mr..
Bouilter, who picked it up, righted it and |
quietly fixed it upon the plate of the girl
next to him, whereupon the man on the |
other side OF her blew 1t out, the girl her
self laughing and e1postplgting with both
of them.
But now, much to my disgust, Mrs.
Hathorne rose to lead Us girls from the
room. / followed her with a sigh, which
Mr.. Temple, in choking tones, immediately
declared he echoed. He had previously.
during the course Of the dinner. much de-
plored the custom which made men remain
1t table after the women went to the par
or, but declared that he had not the moral
courage to break through it. As we edged
slowly toward the door l offered him an
,ther rose from my basket if he would ac-
company me to the parlor Oh this occasion,
out he said that he wouldn't dare to offend
he ether men and that his doctor had ord
sred him to smoke ''for a cruel nervous dis
sase." l came very near telling him that
wished could stay him; and, indeed,
did wish TO do SO Inst violently, this de-
ire being much stronger than the conflict
ng desire to go and talk it over with the
Urls, for l knew fairly well what they
would say, and 1 positively ached to hear
be male comments on the dinner, and
lad feeling that 1 should like to try
cigarette
When the gjras got together again in the
OSrior there Was a huzz of "r,,y dearS - Init \