Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-07-10
WELL HELMETED.

bl T "AO lived ill the Calle del Ave Maria The occasion would be prOpitious because Pepita would attend the ball masked, and Gervasio knew exactly what her costume was going to be. He had al- ready bargained with friend to intro duce him to her father ill order that he might obtain permission to dance with the young girl, for whom he had all ready destined a fine box of sweets, bought for this express purpose at the shop of La Pajarita in the Puerta del Sol.
 GCrvasio was good fellow. He had obtained government position, mod est one, to be sure, but his income suf- feed to cover all his expenses, and as he had no family and lived alone in a small apartment and had good relations he could call himself happy man.
 That ball aggravated him. He lived upon his illusion of appearing in the costume of q troubadOur, which he had adjusted to his form, and as a climax to his good fortune Baron de las RosaS, who had many fine armors at his house, had promised him helmet, an ancient breastplate and q sword.
 How many nights the good Geryasio dreamed about that beautiful costume the compliments from his friends and the covctous glances of some pretty girls!
 Surely Pepita would not be able to resist him and would at least on that night write chapter on hope in the history of her love affairs.
 At last came the nights so long looked forward to. Gcrvasio arrived at the house of the baron when the latter re- turned from the thcater at about 12:30 o'clock. He was already dressed for the ball and lacked nothing except the hel- met and breastplate. Of course he did not wear q mask.
 "Who would think of q mask, " said he, when one can pull down the visor? One can see and breathe much better, and, above all, the beard and neck will not show.
 But, my friend" said the baron while his valet was putting the helmet on GervasiO, ''yOu are going to be very tired indeed. This weighs too much to be worn all night long,"
 "No, sir. It is all right"
 ''Ncry well, do as you wish.
 And Gcrvasio was an armed knight. He returned to his cab and drove to the Alhambra.
 Gcrvasio entered the ballroom, carry ing himself like d vcritable troubadour.
 What q martial and elegant aspect he imagined himself presenting! In his illaCination he saw himself, as ill a mirror walking about among similar costumes, and rcd, blue and yellow dominos of pcrcaline. He elbowcd his way among the testers, who gracefully donned the cmbroideed manilla man. ties, and passed haughtily by the girls disguised as babies or virgins whose cos | tunes looked as if they were ''home- made" He thought himself the object of the admiration of all and was him self dazzled by the reflection of helmet and breastplate in the rays of electric light. He sought Pepita, and finally, after great trouble, succeeded in meeting her The friend who was to introduce him to the girls father kept his word. | They began a waltz, and the troubadour, offering his arm to Pepita, promenaded ill the salon.
 But there he soon found out that the baron had spoken as by tho mouth of q prophet. He could scarcely hear what he was saving under his helmet. His voice sounded like hollow echo. The heat was something uncomfortable Shut ill, as he was, with the visor tightly fastened, in an atmosphere impOver ishcd by the heat and the presence of SC many people, he could scarcely catcl his breath.
 Prpita did not hear word he said He wanted to make q final effort anC began to waltz, but that, too, becam, impossible. He saw nothing. The hel met jogging about on all sides bumped his cranium at every turn, and he mar rOwlv escaped falling down in the mid dlc of the room.
 Finally he was forced to abandon Pep ita aud to discard his incognito. l was necessary for him to get some air to wipe of the precipitation which bath cd his cOuntenancc and to see where h was going. But he found no relief il spite of his lifting the visor, for h. could neither put ill the handkerchie with his hand, nor did the weight h carried on his head cease paining him Then raging and desperate, having los his fond illusions, without being abl to propose to Pepita, and what wa worse without any one having taken no tice of him, he determined to return home, and like one contemplating sui eide he left the theater, after havin spent one hour there, exhausted ill bod as we'll as ill spirit. Neither mind no matter had been able to support a hel met of the tournament on the night o the ball.
 He arrived at his home, but speaking as it were, into a large earthen dish am . being unable to uncover his head, tn watchmen refused to let him Ill, an entreaties, arguments and signs wer necessary to convince the dubious ma that it was the real Mir. Gervasio.
 When this first difficulty had bee
 overcome, he went stumbling up the :
 steps which separated him from hi l. room. He opened the door with grea - difficulty, and with yet more he sut ceeded ill lighting candle. ,, Then the struggle began He Ina
 never worn q helmet before, and in h haste to go to the ball had not bee . careful to find out how it should 'o taken off.
 He walked to and fro inclosed thu
 tried everything that looked like a bu @. ton, buckle or spring, but to no ayai - The helmet seemed to cleave to hin \ Then it occurred to him to call in ai, '' But whom? All the neighbors we
 sleeping, and it would have been tI
 greatest intrusion to knock at one of u
 rooms.
 He stopped near the door to conside He thought he heard steps Some ol ?. was coming up stairs.
 Tk ind flaa oTl n