Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1892-08-20
CAUGHT IN HER OWN TRAP

1ignant eyes-great, brown eyes with a
.~i,!en light in their depths which made
tn. small colorless face at times posi-.
lively radiant.
We were sitting on the stairs at Mrs
Champions last ball. There was always
crush at the Champion mansion, AMI
Kitty and had made our way out Of
the whirling vortex Of dancers at immi.
nent risk of life and limb, and had glad,
sought this last refuge. Every 9th ar
corner, every room, every niche, seemed
overflowing with gayly-dressed people il
groups, but more often in pairs, laugh
ing, chatting, flirting. And sitting here
just behind the marble statue of Psyche,
| had accused Kitty Hathaway of being
4 flirt.
Well, it looked like it, I must confess,
for she was always surrounded by an ad-
miring group, upon whom she lavished
impartial sweetness, looking all the time
so demure and innocent as to almost de-
rcive me. l, Alan Gordon, aged twenty.
five, had never been in love in my life.
If were one of the crowd of cavaliers
who knelt at sweet Kitty Hathaway's
feet it was only because she was so alto.
ee;her bewitching that had no choice
in the matter. Tonight her hirtations
ha excited their usual limit.
Miss Kitty"-I assumed my mos.
ma9isterial expresson-"d don't you know
that it is wrong to firt?"
is it?" with a swift glance, quickly
withdrawn, "Who-who tlirts? Oh,
YES. know! You are referring to Annie
Merton. l must confess she does, or
rather, tries to firt successfully, but ::
don't believe she understands the art"
Annie Merton, indeedl" feel myself
.cL+ing indignant. IAN old maid Ct
forty at least. You know perfectly wei
that am referring to certain brown
eyed maiden surnamed Hathaway. Mis-.
Kitty, it is shame for you to break ali
these loving hearts"
She laughed, clear, ringing laugh.
bah! Nonsense! You men have NO
h. arts to break. Your hearts are petr.
t..d, osSitieJ, fosslized, and all the rest
Of il. You do not know what it is tt
love a woman truly, steadfastly."
kitty. .,"p! You are wrong and yob
know it. You know that ! am not +
foolish, flirting fellow. You know-oI
yuu ought to know-that l love-"
"M iss Kitty! | beg ten thousand par
aons. Gordon, but this is my dance.
'lnr Manola, Miss Kitty; and you did
promise it to me.
felt like annihilating the tall young
man who had made his way
Ill Il IN II 70 nj 4
corncr. But there was no hope
a!,e must go. She rose, and l fancied a
lrgretful look in the lovely brown eyee
AS she turned to me and deposited her
onuquet-a magnificent collection of or
;hids-in my hand.
Keep it until / RETURN" she whisp-
cred. "If l survive this waltz l will be
back here; so don't 60 away"
My eyes met hers; l smiled and nod
ded--and then she was gone. And all at
once it occurred to me how dark and
dreary the place had grown-what dull
affair the Champion ball had become and
how i missed Kitty Hathaway.
And then something else occurred tc
me also-something that came crushing
down upon me with sudden force.
nearly depriving me of my senses. ]
oke all at once to the fact that loved
her-I, Alan Gordon, who had long
looked upon one and marriage as a re-.
mote contingency-all accident which
must befall me sometime, but not now.
Oh, no!
was my own master; fortune OF
half a million had fallen to me year
ago, and l was quite alone in the world
save for my mother. She had given up
the hope of my falling in love, for not
:he slightest fancy had ever troubled the
peaceful waters of my existence. But I
was awake at last to the knowledge that
while l had been dreaming love had
stolen in at the door of my heart, and
aroused myself to a realization of the
truth when it was too late to bar the in
truder out.
While sat there with Kitty's orchids
in my hands, my eyes dreamily watched
the floating white-robed figure-shs was
all in white, feecy, gauzy, diaphanous
material striped with silver threads
and occasionally intercepting sly glance
from her merry brown eyes from over
her partners shoulder, Mrs. Champion,
with her daughter Clara in tow, made
her way with difficulty to my side.
Dear me, Alan, what place to sit,
to be sure!" Mrs. Champion had known
me all my life, and always addressed me
bv my given name. You have not met
Clara since her return from school. My
DEAR" with swift glance into Miss
Clara's face, "this is your old school
mate and playfellow, Alan Gordon. You
are five years her senior, Alan. Now
friendship, while l go to Mrs. Marcy,
yonder. 1 declare, the old lady is look
ing faint and ill"
No wonder; the atmosphere is sti-
fling" | thought. as l made way FOR
Miss Clara, who sank into the seat at my
side which Kitty had vacated.
A slender, painfully slender, young
blue eyes and pale yellow hair, and an
air of ianguor,
just see Kitty Hathaway" calculated
that Young lady; "how oyrrdressed she
is, and she dances all the time! See,
sh" j. flirting with young Gr1ngrr!"
| iuukrd; now cuiIlI | help it? Had I
l"L been looking at every opportunity
Nnilr the cancers danced and the sweet
~n'iz music sur@"d upon th" prr,umed
r.r: ! :, it los ID I;i;" firing. tor
Tili}'a eyes were uHljft'd t GranG RS
a'f,'-. IL, face, aiji the very m"uircr Of
.,r l.l'." wat. "A ca .vino,'t u.r lhat t.,"rr