The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-04-09

been used to do in Adela's time.
Then there were the tennis parties,
which could not have been more delight
ful than they We're. And Mr.. Ingram
plays almost well.r asserted Chrissie.
At any rate, much better than should
have expected from his look"
Ii Is such comfort to me to see him
with his racket in his hand again." re-
piled Mrs. Duffield. ''He had quite given
up tennis since Adelas marriage. Did
he make any reference to her yesterday
at the Brandons', by the by? L saw him
talking TO you after tea?'
No. | can't say that he did talk about
AdeIa." said ChrisSie Qemurely.
on really are a good girl, Chrissie.
TO let yourself to be fastened upon in that
way. The poor man has been looking
almost little calmer lately. No doubt he
has discovered some traces of a family
resemblance land you really have got q
look OF Adela in some lights, and his
wounded heart is soothed by dreaming
itself back at Ade!a's side. | am Begin
nlng to hope that the catastrophe which
for months past l have been fearlully
ilooklng Tor, Will, after all, be averted."
Let us hope sou said Carrie gravely.
IL was after the second tennis party that
Mrs. Dul1ield, reaching home in state OF
badly, suppressed agitation, started of
straight for Henry's study. Half way
along the passage she ran against Henry
hlmSelf, who, for the last hour or more.
wheels
Come III here, Alice" he began, with
Out waiting for her to speak II must
talk TO you seriously There positively
must be an end Of this. My patience in
this matter has filed myself With aston
ishment. but it has reached it's limits at
last. have been having terrible day OF
Il ! ,l,y, I
thus morning with the germ Of an idea in
my mind; after months of labor | be-
heved had got on to the track of the an
sWer to the question, why eXist?' But
scarcely had | sat down TO work when [
became aware that my head was buzzing
1ull OF the song which that girl sang last
night; not by any manner Of means could
/ get 1t Gisentangied from my trains Of
thought. Then. when | start off for "a
turn IN the open air, in hopes of recover
ing myself, where does bad luck lead me
but RIGHT up against the other girl, who is
making some mess with flower DOS in an
clubhouse, and who naturally begins to
talk sixteen o the dozen, with the result
that before five minutes are past [ have
completely lost all clue to the reason of
my existence. Back | fly to my study,
and have been at work ever siuce-no
usel Torture myself as | may. [ cannot
d.
That is why | say there must bean end of
this. Before another sun has set you
must make up your mind which of the
two girls you WANT
Mrs. Dut1ield had sunk into chair and
united her bonnet strings.
Henry" she gaSped a little short of
breath, Il was coming in here to make
you Il proposition. Listen to me- beg of
Won. | believe this will decide matters.
| have just heard that there is to be a
ball at the raceS-a country ball. 1t is be-
ing got up in hurry, and nothing could
be more providential for me- oh, Henry,
1t is the very thing l want! The tennis
parties have not helped me to make uD
my mind in the way hoped they would.
both equally, and they both play despair
ingly well. But ball is quite different
thing-one is sure to dance better in her
Eaildress, and altogether to be more of a
success. oh, Henry, if you love me a lit
tie, let me have this one more test! 1t is
only question of ten daysr'
Mr.. Duffield came TO standstill before
his wife, and glared down at her, his
hands deep in his pockets.
DO you solemnly promise to make
your choice on the very morrow of this
confounded ball?"
Il solemnly promiSe.u
$50 be it, then. And now not another
word on the subject, if you please"
1t would be hard to say whether it was
Mrs. Duffield or Chrissie and Carrie
whose thoughts were fixed with the most
tremulous expectation on the ball in
prospect. The idea of appearing in the
field of battle with two pretty nieces in
tow was exactly the one to warm the in
nermost cookies of this lady's heart.
They will have to be dressed,'' she said
to herself, and, as the thought stirred
within her mind, her eye lighted up and
her nostril dilated, as does that of the war
horse at sound Of the trumpet.
CHAPTER ".
Neither Chrissie nor Carrie had ever
before been at n real big dance-sucn an
article as ballroom not being within
reach Of the comparatively lonely farm
on which they had grown up; but, fortu-
nately, for their success on the critical
evening, waltZing had been assiduously
cultivated in the family circle itself.
Though nervousness was foreign to their
nature, a pleasant sense of bewilderment
took possession Of them at the moment of
their entrance. Everything they saw
was new and interesting, and it never
even occurred to them to conceal, or ever
so lightly to vail, the frank astonishment
and overlooking delight which completely
possessed them. The natural result was
by far the most interesting objects put up
to view. Mrs. Duffield had not been half
an hour in the room before she began TO
recognize that the decision which she had
looked to the course of this evening to
clinch was going to become more per-
picking than ever, In their dresses of
lVofy-colored gauze, relieved by great
punches OF darN-red roses, there was no
fault to befound with either one or the
other. Perhaps the red roses showed up
best III Chrissie's dark hair. but then,
again, with what exquisite delicacy did
the tint OF Carries arms and shoulders
appear to melt into that of the gauzel In
vain did Mrs. Duffield attempt to feel the
pulse of public opinion. There was no
pronounced verdict to be read out of the
compliments which poured in on all sides.
The Australians" were unquestionably
the queens of the ball; but they were.
in the truest sense of the word. twin
queens, placed side by side on one throne.
crowned with one and the same crown.
Il am so pleased that you think nv
nieces pretty" said Mrs. Duffield at last.
with movement of despair, in reply to
the speech of an old friend: .'but how is II
that it is always the Australians in The
plural They are not so very like each
other, after all, and L cannot get ANYBODY
to tell me which they think deserve the
palm.''
You certainly will not get me to do
So" answered old Colonel Thompson.
For one thing, l disagree with YOU about
their not being alike; [ think they are
as like as two peas-not in the color of
their hair, perhaps, but in that hapnv
look on their faces. To see any one en-
joying themselves in that should like
to call it-break-neck fashion, makes one
feel quite twenty years younger. It's that
that has fetched me-their look, not their
looks; if you want verdict upon those
you must 60 to the younger authorities.
Their ball cards would be the best Their
mometers l can suggest"
Grasping at this hint, Mrs. Duffield
took the earliest opportunity of casting a
glance respectively over Chrissia's and