Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-03-19

she nice llbbl6 Lutuks WIN JOu oNh
her 10 dance? or" for the shadow OF a
frown on her favOrite's forehead became
evident to Mrs. Englewood's partial
eyes-''if you don't care to dance, will
YOU talk TO her little? Anything, you
know, Just 20 please her.
Despard bowed. What else could he
do? Gertrude slid her hand through
his arm.
"There she Is" she said. "That girl
in black over there by the fireplace.
Maisie, my dear" for a step or two had
brought them to the indicated spot, II
want 70 introduce my old friend, Mr..
Despard Norreys, to you. Mr.. NOrreys
Miss Fforde;" and as she pronounced
the names she drew her hand quietly
away aud turned back toward her post
at the door.
Despard bowed, and, with the very
slightest possible instinct Of curiosity,
glanced at the girl before him. She was
OF middle height, rather indeed under
than above IL; she was neither very fair
nor very dark; there was nothing very
special or striking In her appearance.
She was dressed in black; there was
nothing remarkable about her attire;
rather, as DeSDard saw in an instant, an
absence of style, of finish, which found
its epithet at once in his thoughts
''countrifed, OF course he said to him
self But before he had time TO decide
on his next movement she raised her
eyes, and for half an instant his interest
deepened. The eyes were striklngly
fine; they were very blue, but redeemed
from the shallowness of very blue eyes
by the depths Of the eyelashes, both
upper and lower And just now there
was brightness, an expectancy in the
eyes which was by no means their con-
slant expression For, laShes notwith-
standing. Miss Fforde'S blue eyes could
look cold when she chose.
Good eyes" thought Despard. But
just as be allowed the words TO shape
themselves In his brain, he noticed that
over tho girls clear, pale face glow Of
color was quickly spreading.
Good graciOusw he calculated men
tally, "she is bluShing! What bread
and-butter miss she must be-to blush
because a man is introduced to her. And
I am 70 draw her out. 1t is really too
bad Of Mrs. Englewood;" and he half
began TO turn away with a sensation Of
indignation and almost of disgust.
But positive rudeneSs where a woman
was concerned did not come easy to
him. He stopped and muttered some
thing indistinctly enough about 1.-The
pleasure OF a dance" The girl had
grown pale by this this time, and in her
eyes a half startled, almost panied ex-
preston was replacing the glad expec-
fancy. As he spoke, however, some
thing Of the former look returned TO
them.
Ill shall be pleased" she said. 81
an not engaged for anything"
Il should think not, he said to him
self. 81 am quite sure you dance
atrociously."
But aloud he said with the slow, i'm
passive tone in which some OF his ad-
mirers considered him 80 to excel that
"Despard's drawl" had It's school of fol-
lowers:
"Shall we say the-the tenth waltz?
fear it is the first can propose"
Thank YOU" Miss Fforde replied.
She looked as if she would have been
ready 70 say more had he in the least
encouraged il, but he, feeling that he
had done his duty, turned away-the
more eagerly as that moment he caught
sight in the crowd Of a lady he knew.
"Miss Marrinder! What q godsend!"
he exclaimed.
lie did not see Miss Fforde'S face as
he left her, and, had he done so, IL
would have taken far more than his
very average mOdicum of diScernment
20 have rightly interpreted the varying
and curiOusly intermingling expressions
which rapidly crossed it, like cloud
shadows alternating with daShes of sun
shine on an April morning. She stood
for a moment or two where she was,
then glanciug round and seeing a vacant
seat in corner she quietly appropriated
it.
"The tenth waltz" she repeated to
herself with the ghost of a smile. II
WONDER but that was ALL
The evening wore on. Miss Fforde
had danced Once-but only once. II
was with man whom her host herself
introduced 70 her, and though good ma
commonplace, aud she had to put some
force on herself TO reply with any show
OF interest 10 his attempts at converse
tiOn. She was engaged for one or Two
other dances, but il was hot, and the
rooms were crowded, aud with scarcely
acknowledged refectiOn-fOr Miss
Ff0rde was young and inexperienced
enough 10 think it hardly fair 10 make
an engagement, even for a dance,
20 break il delberatelY-that if her
partners did not find her it would not
much matter, the girl withdrew quietly
into corner, where friendly curtain
all but screened her from observation.
and allowed her 70 enjoy in peace the
dangerous but delightful refreshment
of an open window hard by.
The draught betrayed its source,
however. She was scarcely seated when
voices approaching caught her ears.
Here you are-there must be a win
dow open, il is ever so much cooler in
this corner. Are you afraid Of the
draught?" said a voice she thought she
recognized.
"No-O-at ieast-oh, this corner will
do beautifully. The curtain will pro-
tect me. What a blessing to get a little
air. replied 3 second speaker lady
evidently.
"PaoDle have no business to cram
their rooms 50. And these rooms are
well, not spacious. How in the world
did you get Marrinder to Gomez"
The second speaker laughed. "It was
quite the other way" she replied How
did he get me to come? you might ask.
He has something or other 10 do with
our host, and made personal matter OF
my coming, So, Of course gave in"
How angelicI
'It is a penance; but we are going i'm