Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-13

about: curious lsekins women snd aoso-
lutei5 extraordinary men were entering
the building at the same time with myself.
This was indeed delightful. I was soon on
the floor, and holding in one hand knot
of jacQueminot roses which Bran had pro-
duced at the last moment, and which /
thought it would complicate matters least
TO accept carelessly, l took couple OF
turns around the room with him to get an
idea of how 1 should begin for myself.
Somehow or other the roofing over Of the
pit did not give the effect of as much size
as had expected; but there were throngs
OF people We were too late for the en-
trance of King Carnival, but plenty of
gaudily dressed men of extremely leu
tonic countenance helped to give somewhat
of the appearance OF full masked ball
1t was curious to notice how differently
different people regarded the affair The
honest German burghers came with their
families, seeming to find nothing improper
in bringing them. l saw several small
girls with fair hair and tinseled dresses
moving about in the crowd apparently per
fectly at home. Up in the second gallery
sat quite number of folk who looked
as sober as ii they were at a lecture;
in the proscenium boxes were knots of
women draped as b!ackly as possible, who
talked together mysteriously and made
little sallies on to the floor guarded by
pickets and vedettes of anxious cavaliers;
unattached mashers ran about here and
there, teasing one man, flying from an
other; bravely dressed women, scarcely
masked at all, sat about in the parCuet cir
Gle; and the men were everywhere.
Oh the menI | had heard tales, and had
a general idea that they went on the sly;
but to see the literary young men, and the
sober middle aged married men, and the
grave lawyers, and the stiff necked physi-
clans actually there in the flesh was too
delightful! | soon cast loose from Bran's
arm, and telling him to keep general
eye on my movements, but not to appear
to belong to me, started of on a career Of
amusement | caught old Mr.. Pelican
waddling about in huge delight, laughing
and gobbling. tapped him on the Shout
der and whispered TO him that his grand
daughter was following him in a blue
mask, and that she was going to bring his
wife after half past ten.
! made ont Lefty Risquict through her
disguise, and nearly scared her to death by
telling her that Johnny Woodcock (he was
crazy about her at that time had found
out that she had come, and was in al
awful state, swearing vengeance on the
man who had brought her. | lett Mr.. Lat
itude in SPECIFICS establishment, having
asked him with tender solicitude if he had
been careful about his fianDeis, and had
put his pills and his powders in his pocket;
and oh, how enjoyed myself with Penny!
| came upon him quite suddenly in the
middle of the room. He was surveying the
scene with look of thorough enjoyment
on his face and flower in his buttonhole.
tapped him on the shoulder.
We'll, my dear" said he, land what do
you WANT"
a know you" said in squeaky tones.
DO your Well, III warrant l know
You"
You are Mrs. Charters husband" said
l, and turned as If TO run away. As l ex-
pccted, he WAS after me in moment,
laughing and a little red in the face, not
knowing whether 10 be displeased or
amused.
'You certainly are not Mr.. Charters
wife, he said. Take my arm and see if
don't know who you are"
We slipped out together into the cor
ridor.
Now take care what you say to me-"
said l. How do you know that am not
in Mrs. Charters confidence"
q know You would be too honorable to
repeat to her what l am going to say to
you" he replied. q know you pretty
well"
Yes"
And I am very glad to have a chance to
speak to you in this way, for now l can
tell you what the cold atmosphere of so
ciety in which we have formerly met has
always frozen on my lips"
"Ahn' said l.
"Yes-often have l seen you in the-er-
the giddy whirl, looking like Aurora''-
"GoodneSs"' said l. You know am
blonder
Il told you knew you, said he. Can
l not see your eyes? Don't l know your
voice? Yes, often have / seen you, beauti-
full rs the day. and-and the sight of you
has almost fioored me" This last was
rather unpoetical.
"Ah, Mr. Charter" said l. pressing his
arm. this is very dangerous. Alas! ought
not to have come with YOU"
WAS the temptation so great" said he,
squeezing my arm in return till it was
almost black and blue and gazing at me
with the most egregious pair of Sleeps
eyes. l only sighed
Don't You remember what said to you
the last time we met-at?''- Tins was
rather deep for Penny.
AT dinnerg" said l. when you gave
me some almonds and asked me if l knew
what the gift Of an almond meant in
Arabia?'
Good Lordr' could almost hear him
saying to himself, ito whom did say that?
must have been coming it rather strong
Il told you that did not know" said l.
Il said it coldly, but do know was
afraid to say l did, for l feared that my
feelings would overpower me- And l
sighed again.
This last touch entirely overcame him,
ana for half an hour / amused myself by
making him commit every description OF
folly. Though l could not make him tell
me who he thought l was, still l guessed
his suspicious, and that was something.
He begged iue for rose till l began TO
think he WIS crazy, and, in short, he gave
himself away" as completely as the faith
full heart Of a wife could possibly have
wished. l finally tore myself away from
him, having secured his boutonniere, which
! proposed to display TO him the next time
I caught him spooning on bud.
Not all my adventures, however, were OF
a pleasing description l was rather taken
aback by the very rude manner in which l
was accosted in the corridor by perfectly
strange man. and | suDpose | must have