San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-01
Going to the Ball This Evening?
By ROBERT G. v. MEYERS


roically, ''that your gown is vastly be-
coming"
Even amodest girl takes courage when
her dress is praised.
sob, re bal American" lisped Marie.
81 shall go to re bal. l shall have re
daisy time. shall get re work in. Papa,
he is not in it-he is vat you say on ze
shelf, played. Yet papa he is re trump"
and she kissed the marquis filially; ''but
l have re drop on re Anglais."
"You see." the marquis fairly beamed,
"Marie speak re E-english like re lum.
tum. You tumbles, as re poet, John L.,
ask"
"Ah," said Marie, with sweet girl
ish laugh, II nevair get left. get zere
all re same"
Jardine had been fairly boiling; speech
was safety valve.
''This is more than shocking" he said.
II am ready to faint" poor Mrs. Cath
cart managed to whisper.
Jardine raised his shoulders. ''Mon-
sieur," he said, 'there is-ah-consider-
able of mistake. The garden is not
unpleasantly cool; if you will go there
with me will explain"
Marie looked kindly at him. I.
''Ze jardir," she said. "Go, papa, ana
chin wiz Tommy; would be wiz ma
dame. Scoot! Get re move on you.
Light out! Skip! Dust! All, vat see:'
What she saw was a photograph of
Ralph on table. She went there with
her father and examined the picture. !
"Oh, Tom" gasped Mrs. Cathcart.
"Come, monsieur" called Tom, his
nostrils expanded.
mot word, Tom," said voice, and
Envy had quietly entered the room.
"Ralph is nearly beside himself"
But Jardine was not in state of
mind to bear contradiction. Il certain
" shall tell this man the TRUTH he
said.
"Then everything is over between us"
returned Envy in his own manner.
Her mother wrung her gloved hands.
"Be still. mamma" said Envy, herself
on the verge of desperation. "There will
certainly be way out of it. Ralph is
nearly frantic"
"Come, monsieur" said Jardine. eek
plain to him." whispered Envy to her
lover, heightened color in her face,
land we are strangers from this night
on"
But Jardine paid no attention to her.
Monsieur" he called peremptorily.
The marquis ambled away from the
table.
81 am wiz you, moncher," he said.
Then CALAMITY to Envy, "Mees, l con-
graduate you; you are Mistair Tommy's
best girl and with profusion of bows
and apologize gestures he followed after
Jardine, who carried himself like ram
rod. Only then did Marie put down the
picture of Ralph.
'Good," said she. "Now, l wiz re
mama and re sistair of re man Eat teach
papa re beautiful E-english. love my
Ralph first because he teach papa re
beautiful E-english. You catch on?
may make re mistake ten times out of
nine, but if madame or mees will tip me
re wink l will make re regular circus
every time. See? | am re taller from
Talkerville. Seer"
Mrs. Cathcart sat heavily down,
"Was there ever such a horror she
asked of space.
Marie said Envy, then stopped,
for what had she TO say?
Marie looked timidly at her.
But my E-english is beautiful" she
asked dep-ecatingly. at is not passee!
1t is moderne:'
very modern" answered Envy, with
meaning; every, very modern"
"Ahr' cried Marie gleefully, Il like
re mode-my costume du bal is re mode.
am re stuff. will paint re town"
Envy caught her arm.
"My poor Marie!" she said. ooh"
viciously, "if l had my will of Ralph"
''Villr' echoed Marie, "Vill of Ralph
What means re test'ment of re man
vat pass in re checks, kicks re bucket
and leave re Doodle. Ralph-Ralph is
not ill!'
II should like to make him So" re-
piled Envy.
Marie jerked herself away from her
and drew herself up.
"Mademoiselle," she said, with con-
siderable hauteur, "you must not sit on
Ralph-ze person Eat give my Ralph re
cold shake is N. Ct. You hear me?"
Mrs. Cathcart had split one of her
gloves in pieces.
Marie" she said with hysterical de-
''come with me; must ex-
plain this awfulness to you"
But she had her daughter to contend
with.
Mamma" said Envy, remember!
Ralph loves her. Separate them and l