Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-06-14
WE'LL HELMETED.

With whas impatiencs Geryasio
awaited the coming Saturday. For on
, Saturday there was to be ball ct the
Alhambra under the auspices Of the So
ciety FL Mochuelo. 1t was to be q mas
querade, and it would be his first time
to appear In disguise he had made the
engagement with several friends, and
besides intended to make a formal decla-
ration Of his love, long and silently cher
ished, to Pcpita, very clever girl, the
daughter Of a prominent merchant who
lived in the Gale 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 in order that he
might obtain permission to dance with
the young girl for whom he had al
ready dest' red a fine box of sweets,
bought for this express purpose at the
shop of La Pajarita in the Puerta del
Sol.
Gervasio 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 q
small apartment and had good relations
he could call himself a happy man.
That ball aggravated him. He lived
upon his illusion of appearing in the
costume of a 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 sword.
How many nights the good Gervasio
dreamed aboct that beautiful costume,
the compliments from his friends and
the covetous glances of some pretty girlsl
Surely Pepita would not be able to
resist him and would at least on that
night write a chapter on hope in the
history of her love affairs.
At last came the nights so long looked
forward to. Gervasio arrived at the
house of the baron when the latter re-
turned from the theater at about 10 20
o'clock. He was already dressed for the
ball and lacked nothing except the hcl-
met and breastplate OF course he did
not wear a 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. tits all right"
''Very well, do as you wish"
And Gervasio was an armed knight.
He returned to his cab and drove to the
Alhambra-
Gervasio entered the ballroom, carry
ing himself like veritable troubadour.
What a martial and elegant aspect |
heimagined himself presentingl In his
he saw himself, as in a
mirror, walking about among similar |
costumes, and red, blue and yellow
dominos of percaline. He elbowed his |
way among the testers, who gracefully |
donned the embroideed MANILA 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 waltz, and the troubadour,
offering his arm to Pepita, promenaded
in the salon.
But there he soon found out that the |
baron had spoken as by the mouth of a
prophet. He could scarcely hear what
he was saying under his helmet His
voice sounded like hollow echo. The
heat was something uncomfortable. Shut
in, as he was with the visor tightly
In an atmosphere lmpover- |
ished by the heat and the presence of SO
many people, he could scarcely catch
his breath.
Pepita did not hear word he said.
He wanted to make final effort and
began to waltz, but that, too, became
He saw nothing. The he'll
met jogging about on all sides bumped
mis- Uranium at every turn, and he mar
rowly escaped falling down in the mid
lie of the room.
Finally he was forced to abandon Pep
Ita and to discard his incognito. 1t
was necessa'y for him to get some air,
10 wipe off me perspiration which bath
ed his countensnce 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 on his head cease paining him.
Then raging and desperate, having lost
MS fond illus 'ons, without being able
% propose to Aepita and what was
worse without any one having taken no. |