Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-07-07

side. t'I'u go to starvation, II you
please"
Don't. Go to the ball first"
''In send him my resignation this
very dayl''
''Wait until the ball is over"
.'Curse the ba1ll''
you're cursing everything, it strikes
me, in the most promiscuous manner"
Forgive me, Eric, but / can't help it. ?"
"You can't help it, dear boy" said
Eric, because your heart is almost
breaking in your breast!" He got up
from his char, and went straight to his
friend, putting his arms about his neck
and kissing him on the forehead. It was
a very sweet and simple act, and it was
also one that brimmed with beautiful,
spontaneous fraternity.
Alonzo threw back his head, stared
forlornly at his companion, and then
flung his head on Eric's broad, virile
shoulder. A great, passionate turmoil
of tears followed-the tears that men
shed, and so te1lingly seldom, and that
are wrung, when shed at all, from deep
governed wells of their spirits.
Eric held him in his arms, not speak
ing a word, only throbbing with the
most humane sympathy. But mean
while his brain worked, and he thought,
with the bitterness and irony that GER
tain stern freaks of life will too often
wrench from us, whether we are OPP
timists, pessimists, or only a part of
that huger throng which neither think
nor feel too keenly. "And I brought
him here for thisi It's too devilishly
bad! In a way he was happy enough
till he'd seen her again, and now it's all
tumult with him, madness, a tor
ture. But he'll stay for the ball. He'll
stay, just to see her again. And then?
God knows with what reckless force
he'll fly straight in the face of his pres
ent prosperity"
CHAPTER XII
Eric was right. On the evening Of
the ball he and Alonzo sought the pal
ace together. They entered the great
roo1ll a little before ten o'clock.
Here the entire assembled court were
waiting, and presently to a golden clash
of music from the orchestra on an up
per balcony mufded in choice living
flowers, the king entered with the
princess of Brindisi on his arm. 1t was
a sight of extreme splendor. The enor-
nous room, tapestried in gold and white,
and hung with mirrors of huge size that
reduplicated the chandeliers in endless
glittering vistas, had been profusely
adorned with roses, lilies and orchids
from the royal lighthouses. The Sal
travian mobiles all wore their uniforms,
and between the many beautiful ladies
who were their wives a sumptuous
kind of rivalry was tonight manifest,
each one wishing, as it would seem, to
eclipse the other in the glory of her
Jewels. But there were two ladies
present who outshone them all, and
these were the princess herself and her
cherished ward, Blanca d'Este. The
mother Of Clarimond was literally
mailed in gems. Her stomacher and
corselet of mingled rubies and diamonds
blazed, as the light caught them, with
vivid and luxurious fires. Her hair was
oversprinkled with brilliants and her
neck and arms were ahame with them.
Possessing SO much natural presence
and carriage, she looked more than
merely regal. Her worst foes land there
were two or three of these who now
gazed at her with the most amiable de-
meanors) must have granted that she
was altogether magnificent.
With Blanca d'Este it was quite an
opposite affair. she, too, was mag
nif1cent, but in a wy that became her
maidenhood and her youth. A collar
Of pearls five rows deep engirt her
throat, and these, with a cluster at her
breast of sapphires, diamonds and other
stones, in imitation of a spray of flow
ers, were the only jewels thatsh wore.
But the pearls had belonged to her an
cestress, Mary of Modena, queen Of
England, and hence were not only SUI
perb but historic besides. AS for the
matchless bouquet, it was owned by her
mother, was famous throughout Europe
and worth handsome fortune in itself.
The princess having begged Bianca's
mother by letter to permit the girl to
wear it on this special occasion, it had
been sent from Italy under the guar
dianship of five trusted men, who now
waited in one of the halls Of the palace
and would receive the glorious bauble
from the hands of its wearer the instant
that she quilted the ballroom.
Shortly after the entrance of Clari-
mond and his mother the royal quad
rifle was danced, and to some conserva-
tive watchers, when they beheld the
king lead forth Kathleen as his part
ner, the sight was one Of absolute hor-
TOR. Everybody else in the quadrille
was of the blood royal except this up
start young American. Beautiful?
Yes, amazingly so. Her beauty, in it's
perfect plainness of apparel, dimmed
the fire of all those necklaces, bracelets
and tiaras. With such eyes, with such
| heavenly look about the brows, with
| such a slope of the arm and shoulder,
and with that imperial kind of dainti-
ness in her motion, she made every other
woman look artificial, got up for the
occasion, endimanchee. But what (gue
dia6eD had that to do with the kings
| behavior? Whether she were hagor
hourt, why should he make her an ex-
cuse for smashing etiquette and then
dancing on its debris? The thing was
| too idiotic. Did he mean to marry her?
| Was this to be his latest daring deed of
unconventionalism?
Look at him now" whispered lady