The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-23

HOW pretty Henuy lOOkeu. mere uisns
be girls at the courtiy junction bearing
themselves with q proude- mien. and pos
eess ed of more chiseled features. but the
bright rose tint In the rounded cheek De-
fore her, and the shine In HeDny's dewy
eyes were not TO be met with in every Lon
don square.
Kenny was array ed in pure white. That
suited her. She had always known that
the dress of q debutaDte would suit her;
and Yet il was not altogether vanity which
thrilled throu Oh the silly child's dancing
veins. / scarcely know whatit was. Per
haps q sense OF success and achievement
was the predominating sensation of that
pertlnaciOus little soul. For 80 long had
she set this thing before her eyes as
thing to be desired that the orlginal fancy
had been lost sight of altogether In the
magnlfied and distorted vision which had
taken its place.
her cousins laughed at her. What did
she expect. they wondered. Did she expect
TO drop her glass slipper-it really had
glass upon lt-white glass beads worked on
the satin-did Henry expect TO cast IL
somew here or other In the palace. and ne
summoned back. Cinderella like. by gay
and deeply infatuated young prince. whose
throne she should presently share!
Did she already behold diadem taking
the place of her white plumes and tulle
veils Henry laughed back No. she ex.
pccted nothing of the kind; but she wanted
20 see what others saw, to 20 where others
bedeoked behind her bouquet. as other girls
sat on drawing room days: to read her
name il the presentation list the next
morning as other girls read theirs.
When Mrs Brackenbury came in. and
handed over to her charge the cards on
which were legibly inscribed Miss Henri
eta West. by Mrs. Brackenbury." under.
meath the magic words. For Presentation"
mist swan before Henny's eyes.
'You must take care of those, my love-"
Cri har them.
They are your passport for the day, you
know. One you must surrender In the
outer corridor. before we reach the sitting
room ana the other just as you enter the
royal presence"
Dear auntie, shall lever be able to think
of lt thenf"
Il didn't" put In Ethel.
"You-didn'Jf" Two liquid orbc. open to
their fullest extent, stared round at the
speaker.
"Oh, don't look so fierce" said Ethel.
laughing Nothing awful transpired. 1t
was simply taken from me. instead OF be-
ing offered by me. The Lord Chamberlain
Is quite accustomed to that sort of thing
from us girls"
"ls hei And does he tell yon what to dot
And where TO got And when to curtseyf
And, ;oh. dear. how shall / ever know
whether am to kiss the Queens hand or
only bow TO the Princessi"
Long before you reach that fearful mo-
ment." said Ethel, laughing again, lyon
will have heard all about it on the other
side. For your comfort, however. L may
tell you that the Queen Is safe To have de-
parted long before you ever get within
range of the throne room. She never stays
now above half an hour or soft that"
Then it will only be the curtsey."
Henry frightened But just fancy if
should try to kiss the Princess's hand"
suggested she, her spirits. which had been
momentarlly subdued. again rising as be-
fore.
1T will bother you TO do that" replied
her cousin. Mrs. Brackenbury ha rus;led
OFT sgain.) "You would have to swoop
down upon il, and make q grab, and scoop
tween you and her. The Princess's hand is
there TO hold her fan and her bouquet
just as your own Is-not TO be slobbered
over toy Ignorant country cousins who
know no better"
well. / shall be glad when it is over"
sighed Kenny, who was now beginning TO
feel the effects of q sleepless night and no
breakfast. Il do like going tremendously
but | shall like coming away still bet
ter. Oh. l can't eat any sandwiches.
shudder of disgust. II never touch wine.
you know, Aunt JuiIa; 1t would make me
quite sick; it would indeed. Well. If some
one will feed me. will try to eat one sand
vich. Please, Ethel. are my gloves
stretched, and have you tried ali the but
tonsi And oh, Ethel, don't you think my
feathers might be little lower9 Must all
three be so very hight Aunt Juha's are
not so high. The maids want to Gee me. do
theyi oh. but Ethel: do they known aside
In q lower tone, Would they think it
funnyW
"Oh, they would only think there was no
time to get another"
But Ethel that was not quite true, was
its1 uneasily. "I-oh. they are here. Let
them come In them"
"yes, Miss Etheps dress fits me besnti.
fully, does 1t mott" To the admirIng circle.
1T Is so kind of her to lend il me. You
have all seen it before, haven't yOuf YOu
see." said Kenny. honestly. "a presen tation
dress iB so expensive that could not have
afforded one for myself. SO / should never
have gone If Miss Ethel had not offered me
the loan OF hers"
1t was this little touch OF honesty which
saved Kenny.
really believe In my own mind that one
little effort towards truth Is often the
means of breaking down whole structure
of shams.
All at once new aspect of the scene be-
fore her stood revealed: all at once it
seemed that she discerned the paltriness,
tho littleness, the selfish shOrt-sghtednese
of the whole proceeding on which she had
EN- barked.
There she stood. tricked ont in borro red
finery. deceiving her parents. affronting her
lover, throwing away what might prove to
have been her happiness for lIfe-and for
WHAT
A bubble. She was bartering gold for
tinsel; substance for shadow: love for van
ity. She had missed her chance. On a
sudden she felt what O great chance it had
been. A sigh burst from the girls fair
bosom. At that moment she would thank
fully have torn of every article of her gay
attire and cast it from her. But il was too
late.
$50 that was what Henry was IN to- Mrs
West. and you never said q word about il,
cried in effect dozen gay voices on the
barge the following morning. I'VE saw
the name in the list this morning. What
fun for Kenny! But why did you tell no.
bodyf"
ltwas the speakers who had to tell Hen
ny's mother.
Presently their railying and laughter
died away. "She herself never knew. She
does not like It." they whispered to each
other. Poor old thing. 1t was too bad of
Henry. She always was as vain as n pea
cock. and now she will be worse than ever
She has stolen q march on us ALL Mr..
Alwyn. what do you say to Miss Vests
having run Oft to court. instead of being
here TO see Msadslen 'bump' Pembrokes"
Il think IL was very good idea" said
Freddy, composedly.
"She told nobody. you know"
why should she tell any bodys''
"Her own parents. Mr.. Alwyn."
"Oh-ah-l was thinking of her parents.
But" continued the speaker. recovering
himself Tor be had been indu bitably n lit
tie taken aback. "M;ss West knows her
parents She-they mo doub BIT, they under.
etsnd each other"
He looked full in the faces of all around
and held bis head erect All the same. the