The Portland daily press., 1892-06-11


athletic young man he said, ga friend
of the De Ryders."
Five minutes later the new acquaint-
ances were doing full justice to the salta-
torial inspiration created by Strauss
breezy music.
After the dance they sat down togeth-
er and talked. Her evident aversion to-
ward discussing conventional society
topics amused him, and the naive and
sensible way in which she expressed her
views on other subjects pleased him i'm
mensely.
And she was equally delighted with
the frank, manly ways of Mr.. Rush,
which contrasted very agreeably with
the popular idea that never conceives the
combination of brains and society men.
They had already danced two waltzes,
a mazourka, a contradance and New
port together, and as the midnight hour
approached Mr.. Van Trolnp's friend
heard himself slyly twitted by his ac-
quaintances whenever an opportunity
offered itself.
In fact, not only the sharp nosed and
sharp eyed duennas, but even his male
friends who, as a rule, are always
the last to perceive that something sis
up" noticed that he had only once left
the side of the hat dsome young lady
since their introduction, and then he had
only gone to get her some sherbet during
an interval between two numbers of the
programme.
They were dancing schottische and
as Mr.. Rush looked proudly down upon
his partner he noticed the glow of pleas
ure and excitement upon her pretty
cheeks and the glitter of happiness in
her large gray eyes, and he admitted to
himself that he had never seen SO thor
oughly ravishing face.
Suddenly she stopped in the midst of
the dance.
The flush left her face and gave way
to an expression of alarm.
The somber sound of nearby church
tower clock rose above the gay music in
twelve slowly vibrating strokes.
"Are you ill?' asked Mr.. Rush solici-
tously, after having brought his nearly
fainting partner to seat. 'sLet me
DTluS you SOIu0 WdU6T.
"No-no thank you," she whispered;
'sdo not trouble yourself; I was only
frightened about its being so late. Some
how forgot all about She did not
finish her sentence, but arose abruptly
and turned in the direction of the stair
way.
Permit me at least to have your car
riage brought and let me get your
wraps" and he started to execute his
purpose.
She stopped him with gesture and
said: "You are really very, very thought
full, but l think, that isl will have to
-er-it will do me good to walk" and
she blushed and looked confused.
Jack Rush gazed at her in utter amaze
ment; the idea of ayoung lady of social
standing that admitted her to the ultra
exclusive Van Tronpball, walking home
after midnight, and alone, was beyond
his understanding.
However he was too well bred to show
surprise and so he simply said, .sThen !
must insist upon your permitting me at
least to see you safely home"
With that he offered her his arm and
brought her into the entrance hall, where
he waited for her return from the cloak
room.
There were four distinctly new wrin-
kles Of surprise in old Ben's forehead
when he saw the two pass out of the
hall and actually walk, think of it,
walk, up street.
1t had stopped raining and the clear
cold night air had covered the pave
ments with an icy coating.
They walked very close to each other,
and MIR. Rush pressed the arm of his
companion quite hard in order to keep
her from slipping.
At near corner they boarded horse
car.
What puzzed the young man was that
ever since they had left the house the
lady had met all his attempts at CONVEX
sation with monosyllabic reticence that
bespoke preoccupied mind.
Presently she asked, 'sBy the way,
who was the elderly lady in yellow bro
cade who had brought her two daugh.
ters to the ball?'
Do you mean MIS-. fandefcoOk, OF
Annapolis?"
Eyes, that is the name; dear me,
think have really forgotten nearly all
the names," she sighed. ssWhat shall /
do? What shall dor
He looked more puzzled than ever,
but as he saw the evident distress of the
young lady he inquired with tender,
sympathetic touch in his voice, ''Why
don't you tell me what is troubling you;
perhaps l might be of service to you?"
For a moment she gazed into his frank
face which echoed her own anxiety, and
then turning her eyes toward the floor
of the car she said hesitatingly, 81 would
be ever so much pleased to have you get
me the names of all the people who were
at the ball; but mind you every one of
them"
SIS that all you wanted?" he asked,
and when she nodded assent he broke
into loud laugh, in which somehow or
other she had to join. There was such
an honest ring to it.
"Why, my dear young lady, assure