Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-06
"TES, DARLING.

"Ithink you're very III reasonable, said
! Helen Morton tc"tluly,
"And l think you're very selfish" said
Dick Morton angrily.
| "Wcll, l am going to that masquerade
party, and you may just as well make up
your mind to it right now"
81 may just us well make up my mind,
then, that you are going to do just exactly
as you please regardless of my wishes OF
| my Judgment" said Dick.
! "When your Judgment is as much at
fault as it appears to be in this instance,
! you may make up your mind that l shall
exercise my own Judgment"
"Your WHAT" inquired Dick sarcastic
| ally, and Helen was so angry at this last
| shot that she hounCed herself out of the
| room.
They had been married just six months.
! Helen was 10 and Dick was 23 They
| had always agreed perfectly about their
mutual affairs till the question of the mask
| Dall came up.
Dick did not like the young fellow who
! had sent them the invitation. Paul FL
| lott had been little TOO attentive to Hell
en- of late to suit Dick, who was triile
/ jealous, as most husbands of young, pref
! ty women are.
Helen was fond of attention But she
was perfectly devoted to her husband al
| though she did love to tease him at times.
So she pretended to flirt with Paul FL
| lott, to Dicks intense annoyance and
chagrin.
He lighted cigar and started off down
town without seeing Helen. 1t was the
first time he had ever left the house with
out kissing her goodby, and she watched
him from an upper window with lump
in her throat and an angry quicker between
her pretty brows.
alright, Mr. Dick, she said deflantly,
brushing IA tear away at the same time
You can be spunky and so can |. I'll
| 60 to that mask ball if l have to got di-
YorCe to do it"
And the silly girl Immediately began
her arrangements for her costume and
mask. She telephOned to her friends, the
Browns, who, she knew, were going and
asked them to take her with them.
Helen decided to wear an old fashioned
gown made in the style of the frucks Of
colonial days. 1t was of rich yellow
broCade, and rs the modste said to her,
would suit her brunette beauty wonderful
! ly well. Then she bought q yellow ostrich
feather fan and amber satin slippers and
silk stockings of the same hue. Long,
| yellow suede gloves completed her pur-
chases, and she went home to luncheon
tired and unhappy, but with renewed de-
termination.
The next night at 8 O'Clock Helen stood
in her room, gazing in the long cheval
mirror at herself. Her powdered hair was
very becoming and she turned instructive
ly to where Dick always stood when they
were dressing to go out to seek his admi-
ration. But Dick was not there, and with
q smotherod sob she gathered up her fan,
gloves, bouquet and opera cloak and went
slowly down stairs.
1t was u brilliant party, but Helen en-
| joyed it not at all. She could not forget
Dick try as she would, and sSe felt all
the time as if she must go off somewhere
and have good cry"
Once two tears did run down behind her
little black mask, but she quickly wiped
them away and danced and laughed and
chatted on. Presently she saw tall man
coming toward her.
81 wonder if that is Paul Elliott" she
said to herself. He was masked, of course,
but wore simply domino over his even
ing suit.
MAY have the pleasure of this dancer"
he asked.
Helen's heart stood still moment and
then went galloping away with her. 1t
was Dicks voice.
Certainly" she said in queer tone.
They waltzed away together, she think
ing: "Surely he will know my step. No
one else ever danced so well with him; he
always tells me So"
But the tall man said nothing except
some commonplaces about the music and
the costumes.
When they stopped, he drew her into the
conservatory, and, having found quiet
nook behind some big palms, he sank
down beside her and began the most fin
ished Irritation the heart of coquette
could desire.
Helen was dumfounded. Could this
be her Dick-hor loyal, devoted husbandP
A spasm of jealousy contracted her heart.
This, then, was the way he acted in her
absence.
She replied wittily to his pretty speeches
and held up her end of the little pastime
very well. But just as soon as she could
she said, in response to a tender remark of
his:
'But, my dear sir, you know you don't
mean that. It's very pretty and it amuses
me, but don't believe it. Why are you
SO shallow in your sentiments? If you had
ever really cared for any one, you could
not play at love in this fashion"