The Press., 1891-02-19
MRS. WILVERTON'S BALL.

Mrs. Alison sat ln ner easy chalr anu tapped her foot impatiently as she worked. MT. Alison paced the floor uneasily and frowned darkiy. It was evident there was a storm brewing in the domestic atmos- phere. Indeed, the first faint drops of the coming shower were already pattering down on the dainty dress Mrs. Alison was embroidering for her beloved baby.
 "For pity's sake, Maud," broke forth her liege lord, ''don't begin crying. Why can't you be sensible and look at the matter in a sensible way? It ought not to be so hard for you to yield to my wishes when I have good reasons for asking you to do it be- sides.''
 q don't know what you call good req sons," sobbed Maud Alison. 'sYou don't know the Wilvertons that you should wish me to give up attending their ball. such magnificent affair as it's going to be, too.'
 That's the chief of my reasons-because don't know anything about the family neither for nor against them. But the mans face is enough to condemn him. l wouldn't trust him an inch out of my sight"
 You're as unjust as you can be-" cried Mrs. Alison indignantly, ito say such un- just things about stranger of whom you know nothing. do believe you are jeal- OuS or nlm D6CduS6 uO was SO dCU0uUlV0 GO me at Mrs. Fitzgerald's party"
 MT. Alison whistled.
 "Jealousl should hope I wasn't quite such fool. But do think you are alto gether too careless in taking up with peo- ple so rashly You haven't known the family month. and yet Mrs. Wilverton is as much at home here as if the house be- longed to her. I don't like it, and I ex- pressly desire that you will see as little of either her or her husband as is possible until something more is known of both of them. Especially do I wish you to decline their invitation to this ball. I don't want my wife known as the chosen friend of pair of adventures"
 And having delivered this decision MT. Alison walked out of the room.
 Thereat his pretty wife was justly indig- nant as we'll as at what he had said. An ger had dried the tears upon her cheeks as she muttered: Adventures, indeed as if that were possiblel I am sure that MT. and Mrs. Wilverton are as elegant and re- fined as any people of our acquaintance, and everybody says the ball will be mag nifcent, and everybody is going, too, and -and-so am l. will not be deprived of every little pleasure I chance to care for because Fred chooses to dictate in that lordly manner. shall go to the ball in spite or n1fn; so, GnoreI'
 And the little foot came down with em- phasis upon the soft carpet beneath it.
 Thus it was that MT. and Mrs. Alison so nearly quarreled this bright morning in early December. The Wilvertons had is- sued cards for grand reception and ball, to which nearly all the elite of the town had responded favorably. Could Mrs. Ali son decline? She did not intend to, at all events.
 Yet it was with rather failing heart that she penned her acceptance of the invi- tation and commenced her preparation for the great event. She had never yet in their pleasant married life acted so willful- ly in opposition to her husbands wishes. But this time she felt herself in part ex- cusable.
 "If he had asked me not to go," she said, half penitently, II might have thought better of it, but I won't be con- manded. didn't marry to become my hus- bands slave, and I'll go to this ball if only to show him that can think for myself and shall act as choose, whether he objects or not"
 You see, the little lady was fast working herself up to a very high pitch of virtuous indignation, and she was scarcely disposed to pay any attention to the faint monitions of conscience, especially when it dared to whisper that she was wrong.
 The night of the ball came around at last, as all things do when patiently waited for At breakfast that day Mrs. Alison had announced to her husband her inten- tion of attending the ball.
 "You are not in earnest?" he said
 "Indeed, I am," was the defiant reply. "My preparations are all completed, and Mrs. Leighton has offered me seat in her carriage in case you persist in not escort ing me yourself
 'I certainly shall not go,"- her husband answered firmly. "And I cannot believe my little wife will go without me-" he add ed pleasantly. "Give me kiss, puss, and when I come home this evening I trust you will have put all this nonsense out of your head. By, byp'
 But his wife would not look at him when he kissed her, and stamped her foot angrily as the door closed behind him and she heard his careless whistle as he ran down the steps.
 "Tm not baby" she said to herself, "and I won't be treated like one. He shall find out that I can go without him."
 And he did come to realizing sense of the fact when he came to dinner that evening. Running lightly upstairs to their room, the first sight that met his amazed eyes was his pretty wife in full festive robes.
 "Well, dear," she said with slight af- fectation of unconsciousness that she was vexing him in the least, "you see have decided to go, after all How do you like my dress2 dressed early on purpose for you to see it."
 MT. Alison had stopped short as she spoke with hands uplifted.
 Maud" he said in vexed way, "what does this mean?'
 Have you forgotten so quick9" she an- swered lightly. "It is the Wilvertons' ball, you know. told you this morning Mrs. Leighton had offered to call for me and bring me home again. Don't you re- member?''
 q remember something you seem to have forgotten" was the cold reply; s'that is that did not and do not want you to MARVELLOUS ENDURANoE.-The vast amount of & Dor performed by the heart in keeping all portions the body supplied with blood is not generally known It beats 100000 times, and forces the bloc at ths rate 0f l6S miles day, which is 5000 900 timei and 615O ssO miles in life time. No wonder there are 30 many HEART FAILURES. The first symptoms are ShOrtnesS of breath when exercising pain in thf