The morning call., 1892-09-25
counting for their appearance and excusing

counting for their appearance and excusing
themselves.
Give you my honor, Maria. don't know
the people. When got an invitation, my
first impulse was not to answer ii. But
poor Jenny Bareback, who never gets
chance TO so out, was anxious to see the
ball. and l and my girls agreed to 90 to
keep her In countenance. Who are they
BallintobDers, what do they do. and who
knows where they came from aud what
their name was in the States ?"
I'VE are. madam" said shrill young
voice beside her, Originally from New
York. My father owns a mine and has
struck 1t rich. 1t is his money we are
spending In San Francisco, and am glad
that 1t has enabled us to entertain as dis
tnguished member of society as yourself.
IL you have seen as much as you want of
us, would not pr0tract your agony for the
world aud will only remark that that stair
way leads to the front door,"
The little colloQuy had attracted atten-
ton. When it was ended. soldierly look
ward, took Miss Diofite's hand-for it was
she-and said quite distinctly:
We'll spoken, Miss Balintobber Allow
me to introduce myself. Major Lindsay Of
the United States army. May | have the
pleasure OF the next waltz with you?"
AS they moved away the lady who had
come to keep Miss Bareback in counteuance
shuffled out of the room with ruffled
plumage and much redneSs of eraw, her
rear guard firing an occasional shot to cover
her retreat Sarcastic smiles and upturned
feminine noses testified to the complaeency
with which the company observed her de-
feat.
Major Lindsay was at this time whrlng
Miss DioTy around in waltz. He was the
best dancer she had ever performed with
solid as a rock, quick-eyed, swift and grace
full. Diory felt she could have fioated in his
arms forever 1t was the first pleasant dance
she had had that evening. The exercises
in the ballroom had begun with square
danceS-Quadrilles and lancers. But peu-
pie of the same set had gradually drifted
together and resisted intrusons by strang-
ers. Thus when the Miss BaiiatobberS
joined the dances their partners would get
no vis-a-viS, and when they persisted the
couples who were forming the sets silently
faded away and the sets dissolved. The
gentleman who has been mentioned as the
foreman of the night shift was particularly
active in collecting his friends together and
In getting up sets In which every one knew
his nelghbOr 1t was Of course pleasanter
for the dancers to have no strangers among
them. To two or three dancing men Judi
ciOus lady friends suggested that prOpriety
required them 20 invite their hostess to
dance, and in some way the hint was re-
luctantly taken. But most of the young
men preferred partners whose step they
knew.
A. the height of the waltz, Colonel Pit
blado, with Trachy on his arm, flashed like
a meteor over the floor. The colonel danced,
as he did everything else, admirably. He
was light as a feather, and he steered his
partner unerringy; whatever laces were
torn or skirts ripped, they were not hers.
One unlucky couple, consisting of q stout
young social leader, and a lady of consider
able avoirdupois, went humping against all
corners. like the German sloops-of-war in
the hurricane at Samoa; the colonel avoided
a collision by brisk flank movement, and
the ponderOuS pair went tumbling over a
bench. When they recovered their footing,
the gentleman turned on Pitblado and be-
gan:
''What clumsy"
just then he caught the colonePs eve. and
what he saw there dislnclined him to con-
clude the sentence; when Pitblado, in his
Suavest voice, observed, you were about
to remark" he turned his back and towed
his convoy to moorings.
When Diory clasped Trachy's hand after
the brush, the two girls felt that there was
paradise after all, and that they had found
it. Whether they had or no, this vera
cious chronicle may hereinafter reveal.
NAKAMURA.