Arizona republican., 1893-01-17

| at the Hotel Continental, enjoying the table d'hote the boulevards, the cafes, the I theaters, the restaurants and the complete
 freedom; seeing the gay, busy crowd pass | ing on to their pleasures and occupations, interested in their movements as a mere spectator, but never inclined to mix with
 them or to make friends and acquaint- ances. Sometimes as passed on the broad
 asphalt of the boulevard bright glance
 shot at me from the eyes of an alert and sprightly woman would send thrill | through my frame, but if the glance be-
 came questioning or provocant l would
 avert mine and hurry on, not always fast enough, however, to avoid hearing behind
 me mocking voice say half angrily, half
 scornfully, "Sont-ils done betes, ces Ang- lais2"
 | One night after the New Year I heard some men at cafe talking of the Bal de | POpera. wondered how sensible, honest,
 moral men could show themselves in such
 place. Then I speculated on what that place was really like, and later on, to my | own incredulous astonishment, found my self in my dress clothes walking dazed
 and inexpressibly shocked, in the corridor
 of the first tier of boxes, gazing stupidly
 on the scene below every time l came to one of the openings affording ingress or egress to the seats in front. believe was
 meditating on the way of escape leaning against the side of one of the boxes, when I became aware of female figure who had stopped beside me. She wore a sky
 blue satin domino, elegantly trimmed with
 white lace, a loup of the same color and
 material, with deep fall of blond, con
 cealed her features, and she slowly waved
 fan of blue feathers. A strong perfume
 of heliotrope seemed to emanate from her person or her dress as she drew closer to
 me. Presently she placed a small, plump
 hand on my arm, and said, in high | pitched, artificial but very silvery voice: "I know theep'
 | How could she know mel ..... | 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
 vain. As if to reproach me with my silence,
 the voice repeated, in exactly the same tone, ''l know theep
 Curiosity got the better of my shame | facedness, or perhaps the fact that the un- known was closely masked gave me un- ] usual courage, for I not only entered into
 conversation with the blue domino, but be- | gan to question her, begging her to refresh | my dulled souvenirs, and tell me when and
 where l had previously met her. Was it | in Londont In Parisi In the country ! She shook her head negatively at each query, and refused to vouchsafe any en- | lightenment, only repeating, with charm. | ing pertinacity, "I know thee" Growing more and more excited and in. | terested, l earnestly implored her to tell
 me at least who she was. No Well, would she lift her mask but for one in stant and let me see her facei l waxed eloquent. l told her knew she was beau. tiful; that-I Ihesitated-that remembered her now, in spite of disguised face and
 voice; that she was-Helen. waited. She
 did not shake her head quite so positively this time, but enough to send a subtle wave of the heliotrope perfume around me. Helen Ardine" I added, mentioning my whilom pretty neighbours name. who had been married some time.
 1 She eluded the direct answer, but com.
 ing closer to me she slipped her arm within mine confidently and Whispered: "lf I know you and you know me, why waste our time in senseless questonings and reminiscences2 We are here to enjoy
 ourselves; let us begin to do so-and that | for the past"
 She snapped her fingers with 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 in the crowded opera house, or set side by side in secluded corners. l was no longer | shocked or disgusted by the strange, gro. | tesque or vulgar sights around me; the blue domino seemed to throw glamoI
 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. l told her that she was disJractingly 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. hi fact, Imade love to her as if had had lifelong experience. Where
 was my awe of women now2 was lifted out of myself by her gracious presence. Surely she must be some foreign grande dame, some aristocratic beauty, seeking an hour of freedom from a loveless life of thraldom and etiquette. would become
 
 man gratify her desires and respect her SC. cretS.
 l In answer to my oft repeated question, Shall we meet again?" she answered at ' last Perhaps" in an enigmatical but not
 discouraging manner. pressed her closer
 to my side and murmured, "Angelw do
 not know what I 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. l gulfed in a noisy melee of debardeurs and clodoches hurrying to the last gallop of | the night.
 1 l sought the blue satin domino and
 waving feather fan through the entire 1 building-in the boxes, the Hobbies, the
 passages-retracing my steps q hundred | times in my fruitless quest. l repeatedly
 asked the bystanders if they had seen the
 woman l described; they shrugged their
 shoulders, and I read in their humorous i smile the old sentence, "Sont-ils betes ces
 Anglais"
 | At last in the gray dawn, l left the
 opera house-or rather l was politely in.
 formed by the janitors that l must do so.
 l went back to my rooms at the Cont. i mental to nondpr On the niUht'S adypnture