Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-08-11

ately with the little Knot OF flbDOh
Dick used TO welr in his button-hole,
/ though to this day do not know why
he did so. Did ne notice the color, TOO,
I l wondered. as l glanced to where he
stood? But he didn't seem 10 be motto
4 ing ANYTHING in connection with her.
| In fact. he did not speak 10 her, rs
1 expected. but went instead and sat
down beside tall. flashily dressed girl
in red. who smiled and made eyes at
him and appeared delighted as she
handed him her programme and he
wrote something on it.
NV mistress watched him for few
minutes, her eyes growing wider and
wider every second, until she turned
scornfully away and began talking
more gayly than usual TO the men VINO
crowded about asking her to dance.
could just hear her voice rs she told
one Of them she was engaged for the
cotillon which was to close the even
| ing's amusement.
Then the music started up and the
| people 10 sway in rhythmic time. All
the place grew one whirl of delicate
hues and appeared like the enlarged
edition of the danseuse whom my mis-
tress and l once saw at the matinee.
Her gown was composed of endless
yards Of white stuff. which she tossed
and whirled and circled around and
above her ali the while they threw col
Ored lights over her, until she looked
| like an animated rainbow.
1t was dark out where lay and the
woman who came and seated herself
softly on the settee was Mt first I'M
recognizable. Then she uttered an ex-
clanation and l knew her for cur
French maid.
ITEMS she said. exultingly Il
| thought it would work Now they are
| getting ready for the cotillon and my
handsome Richard is crossing the room
| toward the lady in red. This is just
/ the moment for Gustaye-and there he
| comes. Oh. l will win yet. She shall
! accept Gustave in some moment Of
/ pique. and then as the sister-in-law Of
/ my former mistress l shall be able to
! make my debut in society on the money
/ she Will give Gustave. / shah attract
/ NJ Dick and make my own fortune.
1 That doll would look like q dowly
/ if it were not for my taste in robing
/ her. Perhaps l should not have been
so particular about her appearance
/ had | known She would attract Dick
\ as she calls him to herself"
/ Then. as some one approached the
window. she slid back into the dark
ness. And | had TO lie and watch Dick
and Margaret dancing with everybody
| in the room except each other.
Presently Dick stepped suddenly onto
the porch and lit q cigarette. l heard
him use a word / never knew before,
but il sounded dreadfully angry. Per-
haps that was because l never heard
man talking to himself before.
have heard enough Of them since,
though, and know men call it swear
ing.
Well. Dick swOre. He seemed to feel
better after that, and came over to sit
down on the settec AS he did so, his
foot struck against me, and he stopped
to pick me up.
"A lady's pocket-hook,' he exclaimed.
Il wonder if it has much money and
to whom it belongs. | suppose there
no way of knowing unless l examine
the contents. Let me see: Two tickets
on the elevated road, one caramel Hat.
tened beyond all recognition and still
in its oil-paper wrapping, a key, 30
cents, and-a card. Why-it's MarGar.
et'sr'
He suddenly raised me to his lips
and kissed me passionately. / felt his
breath come in quick sobS as he did
so.
Il suppose it's robbery to keep 1t,
and especially dishonorable when she
expressed herself so clearly by sending
my note back. And yet l can't go away
without some word, some little token
Of her l wilI-Ill ask her to dance the
next figure with me-"
He went quickly into the room and
over to the table where the fay0rs were
piled. Picking up some absurd trifle,
he resumed his place by his partners
side and waited.
At last his turn came. and when The
leader clanked his castanats and the
gentlemen and ladies' separated to
to choose other partners, l saw Dick
apprc ach Margaret.
She bowed and they stepped ont on
the floor together. The music was a
waltZ-sOme weird thing of Strauss
They reminded me Of a rhyme Dick
once read Margaret and of which she
always seemed fond afterwards:
Ny arm enlaced her winsomc waist
And down the dance we flew
We flew, we raced, our lips embraced
And our breath was mingled. too.
Round and round we whirled and
wound
In circle light and fine
And all the while in the winding ways
That music that music Of other days
With its infinite possibilities
And it's memories divine.
They never spoke-they only danced
At last it was erded. He bowed her
20 her place and came ont on the settee
again. Margaret left the room, but
Dick was sitting with bowed head and
did not see her. But felt rather than
heard soft step behind us and knew
she was near.
Dick again raised me from my hiding
place and pressed me to his lips again.
Il just hadn't the nerve to say any
thing, after all, so / am going 10 steal
you, like regular thief. 1t was an
gelic for her TO notice me at all. after
my ignoring the return OF my letter. |
shall never forget that waltz, and I'm
going to keep you and this caramel
that she might have eaten, and the
tickets that would have served to take
her about on her shopping trips, like
the one on which she bought you, per-
haps, and these coins that her fingers