The record-union., 1895-08-10

cause of all our happiness. Why mayn't
L? Do let me-you will, L am sure"
''Oh. no; for heavens sake don't name
it. Promise me you won't. l will ex-
plain why it is so important that you
shouldn't. / didn't want to tell you, but
l am afraid / must. Just as we were GO
ing up stairs after dinner to dress papa
found out that this was masked ball,
and positively forbade us to go to it. We
! had told him that it was before, but he
/ had forgotten"
And you came?"
es, it was awfully wrong, OF course,
/ but knew that you were coming, and L
had been so unkind to you, and L did 80
want to come; so, as papa was going
somewhere else first, we made mamma
/ bring US just for one hour or 80. Now
! [ think you will see that you must never
breathe a word about having seen me
/ here 10 single sOul-not even TO me my
self when we are alone together. for if it
! is spoken of at all, it will be sure to come
! out, and poor dear mamma Will get into
dreadful trouble; you don't know what
papa is like when he is really angry"
II see, / see. l quite understand. How
glad | am that you have told me! Wild
/ horses shall not make me name it even to
you"
Thank you. Now l must go back to
mamma. 1t was not her fault in the
least. / ought to tell you; we teased her
until she really did not know what she
was doing. She is there on the far otto
man. For heavens sake don't seem to
recognize her: she is In an awful fright
about what she has done, and would
much rather not be spoken TO. She
has not recognized you. SO there's no
| need 10 do it."
''But won't you give me one moro
| dance?o
IL am sorry to say I can't. for we are
n0inO ou m tha Paltnnc1 olr1Oar in1nn
ately; papa is 10 join US there"
| She repented having said this at once,
for he exclaimed, "Then PHI go to the
ReltOns too"
''Oh, will you?''
eyes. indeed l will, for shall see you
there. and be able to look on your face
once more"
"Yes, no doubt" she said anxiously.
''but | don't want you to speak to me
! there.'
what! are you reassuming your old
manner already?"
mo, oh. no! 1 joyfully abide by the
words which | have spoken, but if [ SEQ
you at the Reltons' / can't let you say
more than certain number of words 10
me. Just wait till l count and [ will tell
you how many. You may say thirteen
words to me, and l will tell you what
they are TO be-"
! ''Oh, let me choose them for myself"
| NO, L SudIi CHOOSE tD0ul, anu you dIo
to have no power to add to their num-
ber. Give your word of honor not to
do that"
u will, but give me your reason for
| asking this. | must say that your Or
dinances are excessively severe"
1T Is this" she said nervously, for she
was beginning to feel almost at the end
of her resources; sit is only this: The last
hour has been very exciting one to me.
Ii you came and talked to me at the Rel
tons | should break down."
- won't, DEAR 1 won't! Tell me what
| may say. and | will say no more"
You may just approach me long
| father tomorrow TO say something about
you,' and without saying another word
or waiting for me, you are to pass on"
! ''AlI right. y YOu shall be 0beyed."
IN o matter what may say or dol Re-
member. even if l speak to you, you are
to say no more"
You may say and do what you like,
you will not wiring another word from
me. but l do wonder why you have
chosen those particular thirteen Words
they are just what | have said here. In.
vent something new"
Cant you understand that I want to
have the happiness of knowing that you
love me as much at the Reltons' as you
did when you said them here2''
Darling, how could l do otherwise?"
he exclaimed, enthusiastically, and she
thought There. / have arranged so that
ne will use words to Miss Dorothy which
will pass for an otterl'
Then she sighed and said Now you
! had better go. l have only to take off
my mask and domino, and then l am
ready for the other party, but you have
more TO do"
Not 1! a Genevan gown can cover a
multitude of dress clothes! l shall go
| straight there"
She returned to her supposed mother,
| and she departed. She found some ques-
ton TO ask the old lady in case she should
be watching her from afar but he went,
and before long the chaperone arose, col
lected her daughters and left. Glenton
| followed her down stairs and boldly went
| out into the street with her, found herself
q cab, and bade the man drive quickly,
| for it was now after /. Even then she
! did not dare to take her cab up to the
Delaney's door. lest she should be heard
or seen:
SO three doors Oft the chaise was stayed,
and she got out.
How late she was, and how terrified,
for as she alighted from her cab she saw
a carriage, which was in all probability
| the DelaneyS', entering the short street
in which they lived. If they reached the
house first they would let themselves in
| with their latchkey and bolt her out If
on this occasion her latchkey was not as
manageable in her hands as was usually
the case, they would find her struggling
with it when they alighted She gath
cred up her white silk dress and ran. In
her haste she dropped one Of her white
satin slippers but did not dare to stop to
pick it up. Key in hand she soram bled
up the steps somehow, and was then
hidden by the portico. Happily for her
! the key work ed smoothly in spite of her
Il l.
she was inside the house and the door
shut just as the carriage stopped outside.
| She flew up to her own room and put on
| her ordinary apparel. Never again, un-
less she should happen to have to marry
! Miss Alice, must she venture to cut ii so
! fine.
The white satin slipper, which might
have been her ruin, saved her. 1t delayed
| them.
"Wh hat is that lying at the bottom of the
steps? ?" exclaimed Alice as soon as she
got out of the carriage. "Why, do be-
love it is white satin slipper Any
body would say that there had been q
wedding here since we went away"
What absurd nonsense you do talk ~
said her father, who was tired, having
been standing in the Reltons' crowded
rooms for two hours and half, and who
had q steadfast conviction that girls talked
and thought OF nothing else but matri-
mony.
but it is white satin slipper" main
tanned Alice. "Pick it up, Dolly, and let
us have look at it." Alice always liked
other people to to do the active duties of
life for her.
II do declare it is my shoe !" said Dolly
as soon as she had it in her hand and saw
the embroidery on it. "What q very
curious thingn'
what nonsense you do talk, Dolly !
| Why is it so curious? said Alice i'm
| ,1atiautlv 81 suppOsa it Uot cauuht in