Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-09-23
THE RED FLAG.
BY NJ i. BRADDON
Gretchen In The Carbon.
CHAPTER j.

breathing sweetness on the soft cool
night; leaves whispering; low faint
sounds Of falling waters form Il fOun-
tain hidden in the foliage, and across
the dim shadowy night the flaring
lights and gaudy colors Of a painted
and gildcd temple, in which the band
is playing one Of Strauss tendcrest
Jwaltzcs.
The melOdiOus strain is drawing to It's
close. The players attack the coda
with crash and hurry, the pace inten-
styling as Gaey near the end. All the
walters have fallen out Of the ranks,
except one couple, and those two waltz
as if it were impossible TO TREAS if
they were the very spirit Of dance and
melody, creatures OF fire and air
motion iucarnate.
The girls golden head ~reclines
against her partners shoulder, bat not
with an air Of WEAKNESS; the attitude
expresses only reJose; the graceful
gliding step, the harmonious flowing
movements, are as natural as the fan
Of waters or the waving Of forest
boughs. The rosy lips are slightly part
VI lAf HMf'l ~ - lRRh HLshl hAlh6 VIII
a dreamy gaze. There is far more Of
spirit than Of gross carthliness Ia the
slim willoWy form, the fair and
radiant face, which the stars and the
lamps shine upon alternately, as those
revolving figures ~clrcle-now In the
glare Of the orchestra, and then under
those solmn worlds OF light which are
soon to look upon strange. sadder,
darker, c]r1Ieller sights than this Sun
day evening dance at the Closerie des
Iilas.
There are some who think il is q
wicked thing TO dance on q Sunday
evening, even after one has wOrshipped
at ones parish church faithfully ana
rcrerenily on Sunday morning; some
there are who think it Is wicked TO
dance at al: and there are others who
worship In dancing, and are moved to
wild leapings and whirlings by the
spirit OF piety; others, again. who are
deyildaucers, and worship the princl
pal Of evil in their demoniac gyratlons.
But assuredly, Of an who ever danced
upon this earth, none ever danced on
the edge Of a more terrible volcano
than that which treubled and throb
bed under the feet Of these light.
hearted jewellers to-nirht-hapJy, I'M
forsecing, rejoicing I'm the balmy breath
Of summer, the sturlit sky, the warmth
and the flowers, with no thought that
this fair Paris, whitley beautiful in the
sheen OF starlight and moonlight, was
like "a p]hautasmal or fairy C'ty-a city
Of palaces which were soon 10 sink in
dust and ashes, beauty that was 10 be
changed for burning, while joy and
love fled shrinking from a carnival OF
blood and fire.
Even tonight there were ~bystandprs
in the lnmp-lit garden who shook their
heads solcmnly us they talked Of the
probability of war with Prussia. The
battle of Sadowa had been the begin
ming of evil france had played into
the hands Of her most dangerous rival,
and had been swindlcd out of the price
OF her neutrality. 10 have allowed
Austria 30 be- crushed by Bismarck
Wa worse thnn ii crime, IL was a
blundcr And now all the signs and
tokens OF the time pointed To the lkcli
hood OF war. The day had come when
the oyerwceuiHg ambition Of the house
OF B~ruudenburg must be checked, and
IN the opinion Of the Bouupartists the
lon among the people was divided, and
there We're many who were friends of
ones 10 fight upon was France Opin
peace. A campaign would be q trt
umph for French arms, of course, but
such triumphs. however certain, are