The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-22

"You like the country life besti"
She turned her eyes on him and said
with deep sigh:
''Oh, yesi'
If there was anything needed to confirm
him in his belief that this young girl was
one and the same as the woman he had
seen at the ball, the sigh was all that was
necessary. As it fell upon his ear, plain
lively soft and melancholy, he seemed once
more to be looking through the gilded
grating at the masked figure and the fut-
teriDg fan.
Full of conflicting doubts, he leaned
back in his chair to think. At the same
moment the lady on his other side turned
toward him with some laughing remark
which required a quick answer. Then
came challenge and retort from farther up
the table, and for some moments the con-
versation ran on brilliantly. Dinner was
nearly at a close when his opportunity
came. Every one about them was talking
or laughing. The girl beside him alone
was silent, sunk in her brooding thoughts.
Without word of warning, he suddenly
leaned toward her and said, almost in q
whisper:
"What were you doing at the masked
ball on Thursday EVENING""
She turned pale, but sat silent without
moving. He was silent, too, waiting for
an answer. After few seconds she said:
81 had TO CO."
"You had to go?" he repeated in sur
prise.
"Yes; didn't know what else to do. I
found ont that Charlie-that's my brother
had gone 1t was too late to find him,
and anyway he would have only got angry
with me. He says am always interfering.
But it isn't that There are only US two,
and we have to take care of each other.
l must take care of him, and he of me. I
knew it was a wrong place for him to 20,
but he was already gone. So I had to go
after him. 1t would be different if he was
not so young, and he's lived in the country
all his life. And then to suddenly come
to the city, and he forgets about the money
that we've only just got enough. Per-
haps-Tm afraid-that he doesn't seem to
know very well how to take care of himself
like the others. But they've lived in the
city all their lives, and so it is different"
She paused and looked at him with sort
of pleading apology for the weak boy.
Then she went on:
"I've come from our home to take care
of him. The others have mothers and
brothers, but he has only me. It's hard to
keep from making him angry and yet to
look after him, and SO | went with my old
nurse. knew if l could find him l could
bring him back with me. We got the
masks and dominOes from a man near the
door who had them to hire. Then / went
into that empty box and waited till he
came by, because there was such a crowd,
and the people couldn't see me. Soon after
you had gone he passed, and then | called
to him, and he came, and we went home"
She hesitated and stopped, then said hur
riedly:
when I saw you tonight I knew you
again, and thought you would know me.
/ ran up stairs and put this piece of court
plaster on the mole. I was afraid of your
knowing me. | was afraid you would
think badly of me for being there"
She was interrupted by the rising of the
ladies. As she turned to go she paused,
and looking at him with wistful inquiry
said:
do your"
He looked at her without speaking, but
shook his head.
AS the men settled back into their chairs
one of them, noticing Carroll still standing
gazing vacantly at a window opposite,
cried laughingly:
Look at the sentimentalist lost in con-
temptation of the stars"
Carroll started, and taking his seat an
swered quietly:
Eyes, I've been looking at DE
V. in Wave.