The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-02


BIN. December came and waned, and !
was still lingering on in my pleasant rooms
NJ the Hotel Continental, enjoying the
table d'hotc. the boulevards, the cafes, the
theatcrs, tho restaurants and the complete
ireedom; seeing the gay, busy crowd pass
ing on to their pleasures and occupations,
interested III their movements ns IL mere
spectator, but never inclined to mix with
them or to make friends and acoraint-
ances. Sometimes as passed OH the broad
asphalt OF the boulevard bright glance
shot ut me from the eyes of nm alert and
sprightly woman would send "A thrill
through my frame, but if the glance be-
came questioning or provocant / would
avert mine ana hurry on. not always fast
enough, however, to avoid hearing behind
me mocking voice say half angrilv. half
scorniully, "Sont-ils done betes, ccs Nuc,-
lais?"
One night after the New Year heart,
some men ut n cafe talking of the H,l do
IOpera. wondered how sensible honest.
moral men could show themselves i'm s;ch
place. Then L specialized on what ,hut
place was really like, and later on, to nv
own incredulous establishments found my
self in my dress clothes walking, daxCd
and ineXpressibly shocked, in the corridor
of the first tier of boxes, gazing stunidlv
on the scene below every time | came to
one of the openings aiTorling ingress or
egresS to the seats in front. / believe was
medltating on the way of escape, leaning
against the side of one of the boxes. when
l became aware of II female figure who
had stopped beside me- She wore n sky
blue satin domino, elegantly trimmed with
white lace, n loup of the same color and
material, with u deep fall Of blond, con-
cealeu her features, and she slowly waved
IAN OF blue feathers. y strong perfume
OF heliotropc seemed to emanatc from her
person or her dress as she drew closer TO
me. Presently she placed y small, plump
hanu on my arm, and said, in high
pitched, artificial but very silvery voice:
II know thcev'
How could she know me?
Yet she evidently did. or else she would
not have singled me out of the crowd and
plainly told me so. l tried to solve the
mystery by ransacking my memory, but in
VAN. as IL to rcproach me with my silence,
the voice repeated, in exactly the same
tone, Il know thrc!"
Curiosity got the better oe nv shame
iacedness, or perhaps the fact that the I'M
Known was closely masked gave me un-
uSuai courage, for not only entered into
conversation with tho blue domino but he
gan to question her, begging her to refresh
my dulled souvenirs, and tell me when and
where had previously met her Was it
in London? In Paris? In the country?
She shook her head negatively ut each
query, ana refused to vouchsafe any en-
lghtenment, only repeating with charm
ing pertinacity, Il know theer'
Growing more and more excited and in
tercstcd, earnestly implorcd her to tell
me at least who she was No Well,
would she lift her mask but for one in
slant and let me see her face? | waxed
rlnuupnt | toll hnr I | IL.
tiful; that hcsitatcd-that remembered
her now, in spite of disguised face and
voice; that she wus-IIclen. waited She
ana not shake her head quite so positively
thlS Tune, but enough to send Il subtle
wave OF the heliotrope perfume around me-
Helen Ardine?" l added, mentioning NV
whilom pretty neighbours name who had
been married some time
She eluded the direct answer, but COM
ing closer to me she slipped her arm within
mine confidently and whispered:
IF know you and you know me. why
waste our time in senselcss qucstionings
and "reminiscences? We are here to enjoy
ourselves; let us begin to do so-and that,
! for the past"
She snapped her fingers with n sharp
noise as of castanets, which could never
have been achieved by an English woman,
and before | had time to realize that she
WAS not Helen after all she had led me
away. Arm in arm we walked together i'm
the crowded opera house, or set side by side
in secluded corners. l was no longer
shocked or disguised by the strange, gro
tesquc or vulgar sights around me: the
blue domino seemed to throw n glamor
over them. pressed close to my heart the
rounded arm that rested on mine.
Once, in the heavy shadow of draped
balcony, lifted her pretty fingers to my
lips. told her that she was distractingly
lovely, although the jealous mask only al
lowed an occasional flash of white teeth to
shine through the lace, for she never lifted
the loup once. In fact, made love to her us
II had had lifelong experience. Where
was my awe of women now? | was lifted
out of myself by her gracious presence.
Surely she must be some foreign grande
dame. some aristocratc beauty, seeking an
hour of freedom from n loyeless life of
thraldom and etiquette. would become
her knight, and like n chivarous gentle
man crafty her desires and respect her Sc
crcts.
In answer to my oft repeated question.
Shall we meet again?" she answered at
last Perhaps" in an enigmatical but not
discouraginS manner. l pressed her closer
to my side and murmurcd, "Angcl." do
not know what | should have added had
she not at that moment quickly slipped her
arm from mine, and before | could ask the
reason of that swift movement she was en-
| quilted in IL noisy melee of dcbardcurs and
clodoches hurryng to the last gallop of
the night.
| | sought the blue satin domino and
waving feather fan through the entire
bnlciing-in the boxes the Hobbies, the
passages retracing my steps hundred
times in my frnitlcss quest. l repeatedly
asked the bysianders if they had seen the
woman | described; they shrugged their
I shoulders and I read in their hu,norous