Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-04-22

her here tonight; but one of her
children was ill, SO Miss voss came
alone. Extraordinary looking girl, is
she not? never saw any one quite
like her. l was almost certain that
Mrs. Aspinwall said that she was a
great beauty"
$50 she is" snid the man.
"H'm-do you think SOP" Mrs.
Demayn coughed little. 81 thought,
too, that 1 had heard that she was
dark. But evidently that was mis-
take"
"Evidently."
Asketh had movement of intoler-
able impatience. What time of the
night was 1t? The moon was not yet
set, though it was setting; and the
hunt-ball guests had come at 8 o'clock.
So few hours since he had first seen
this girl? Why, he felt as if he had
known her ages, as if they had talked
together of all things under heaven
and in earth. That men should stare
at her as Mrs. Demayn's interlocutor
was now doing, that these worldly
women should have, in speaking of
her, the tone OF patronizing conde-
scension adopted by that lady, was
something not to be borne.
He pushed forward through the
dancers. The last figure had spun its
motley whirl through the ballroom
One more waltz, and rs Paul con-
fronted Miss Voss's partner, about to
relinquish her, he offered his arm
without word. Without q word she
took it.
He led her to the piazza, then he
said: "Get something for your head
and shoulders wrap"
81 am going home now," she re-
piled. But moment later she issued
from the cloak-rcom, shawlel and
hooded, and when again he offered his
arm, she took it without protest.
"Where are you taking me?" she
said in a loud voice. "On the lawn?
See, the people are going, and the
moon is almost set.
But there was no real concern in
her tones. She walked on with him
carelessly, as if they two had been
alone in the world.
"You do not mind? Surely, you
do not mind" he murmured, deserted
by his usual fluent readiness with wo-
men, only conscious of her nearness,
of the touch of her bare hand on his
sleeve, and all his pulses throbbing.
"You seem SO unlike other girls,
somehow"
She stopped, and by quick move
ment took off her oil her glove. She
raised both arms, that cleaned pale
ly in the waning moonrays, shaking
back from them her enveloping wraps.
She breathed deeply, twice, three
times.
"No, do not mind" she said, in
the same tone. "And, it is true, am
not like other girls. 1 never have
been, never, never. All, how glorious
It is to dance, to live, to enjoy, to feel,
as have tonight, and as other girls
do SO often-so often / mind nothing
tonight. Time enough for that. /
will not think of it now. Let mo be
happy Just few minutes more-just q
few minutes! 1t will end soon-soon
-soon-"
The stately form of Mrs. Demayn,
fanked by two footmen, was visible
on the piazza behind them in the
glare that streamed from the now de-
serted ball room.
"Ah it has ended now!" breathed
the girl, and she turned toward the
house.
81 was looking for you, Miss Voss,"
remarked Mrs. Demayn icily, and the
glance she gave Asketh was almost as
whitening as that which she bestowed
on the girl.
"Yes, I know; I'm going now. Don't
mind my being the last one. 1t won't
matter tomorrow.
SIS that girl mad ?" excitelly queried
Mrs. Demayn of her husband an hour
later in the privacy of their own apart
ment. "Did ever you hear of such
amazing conduct? And the way in
which Paul Asketh hirted with her all
the evening was Observation-Disclosures
full. What can Lucy Aspinwall be
thinking of to take up such people :?
She told me that this Miss Voss was
very sweet and quiet and modest and
ladylike. Heaven knows where she
sees such qualities in her! I thought
her prodigiously bad form lingering
out there, when everyone had gone,
alone with Asketh, whom she had
never seen in her life before tonight |
That is what comes Of picking up per-
sons not in society. The girl is q
savage"
''A mighty handsome one, then,
and one not too slow to have obviously
enmeshed the best parti in town." said
her lord and master, but he said it to
himself, having acquired wisdom in
twenty years of matrimony.
"You said two nights ago that you
were not like other girls You need
not have told me. To me you
are like no one on earth. / am com
ing to your home to tell you this and
other things. If 1 hear nothing from
you l shall know that have your
| permission