The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-13
WE'LL HELAIETED.

saturday there was to be q ball at tho
Aihambra under the auspices Of the So
c1ety Ell Mochuelo. 1t was to be a mas
queradc, and it would DO his first time
TO appear i'll disguise. He had made the
enlargement with several friends, and
besides intended to make formal dccla-
cation of his love, long and silently cher
asEcd, to Pepita, q very clever girl, tho
qnuShter Of prominent merchant who
lived i'll the Gale del Ave Maria. The
occasion would be propitious because
Pcpita would attend tho ball masked,
and Gervasio knew exactly what her
Costume was going to be He had al
yeatly barguined with friend to intro
ducc him to her father in order that he
might obtain permission to dance with
Che young girl, for whom he had al
xcady destined 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 rs
he had no family and lived alone i'll
small apartment and had good relations
he could call himself n happy man.
That ball aggravated him. He lived
upon his illusion of appearing in the
Costume of Il trOubadour, which he had
adjusted to his form, and rs n climax
to his good fortune Baron do las Rosas
WHO had many fine armors Mt his house,
had promised him n helmet, an ancient
br' astplatc and Il sword.
How many nights tho good Gcrvnsio
'dro AIMED about that beautiful costume
the compliments from his friends and
tho covetous chances of somo pretty girls!
Surely Pcpita would not be able to
resist him and would at least Oh that
night write II chapter on hope in the
history Of her love affairs
1t last came the nights so long looked
forward TO. Gcrvasio arrived at the
hoOse of the baron when the latter re-
turned from the thcatcr at about 1890
o'clock. He was already dressed for the
ball and lacked nothing except the he'll
met and brcastpluto. Of course he did
not wear IL mask.
WHO would think of mask" said
be, when one can pull down tho visor?
Ono can see and breathe much better
anG, above all, the beard and neck will
MOI show"
Int, my fricnd,' said the baron
while his valet was putting tho helmet
OIL GcrvusiO, you are going to bc very
tired indeed. This weighs too much to
be worn all night long -
mo, sir 1t is all right. "
Very WELL do as You wish. -
And Gcrvnsio was al armed knight
He returned to his cab and drove to the
ALEXANDRIA
CsCrv;iSiO entered the ballroom, carry
ine himself like "a vcritable troubndour
What martial and elegant aspect
he Imagined himself presenting! In his
imagination he saw himself, us in a
mirror, walking about among similar
costumes, and red, blue and yellow
do..:oS of pcrcalinc. He clbovcd hi;
wa among the testers, who gracefully
donncd the cmbroidccd manila man
ties, and passed haughtily by the girls
disguised as babies or virgins whose cos
tunes looked as if they were "home-
made. p" He thought himself the object
OF the admiration of all and WAS him
SELF dazzlcd by the reflection of helmet
and breastplatc III the rays of electric
light. He sought Pcpita, 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 waltz, and tho troubadour
Offering his arm to Pepita, promenade
In the salon
But there he soon found out that the
baron had spoken rs by the mouth of Il
prophet. He could scarcely hear what
he was saying under his helmet. His
voice sounded like hollow echo. The
hear was something uncomfortable. Shut
In, as he was, with the visor tightly
fastened III an atmosphere impovcr-
ishcd by the heat and the presence of so
many people, he could scarcely catch
his breath.
Pcpita did not hear word he said.
He wanted to make final effort and
began to waltz, but that. too, became
impossible. He saw nothing. The he'll
met jogging about Oh all sides bumped
his Uranium at every turn, and he mar
rowly escaped falling down in the mid
die of the room.
Finally he was forced to abandon Pep
ita and to discard his incognito 1t
was necessary for him to get some air.
to wipe off the perspiration which bath
ed his countcnance and to see where he
was going. But he found no relief in
spite of his lifting the visor, for he
could neither put in the handkerchief
with his hand, nor did the weight he
carried Oh his head cease paining him.
Then raging and desperate, having lost
his fond illusions, without being able
TO propose to Pcpita, and what was