The record-union., 1895-08-10
A MODERN CINDERELLA.

They were going to Mrs. Glendinning's
masked ball at the Neville Rooms, and
their pretty white dresses. which Glen
ton had only just finished, were lying
on the bed. There was to be no great
variety of costume at this ball, disguise
apparently being the main condition to
be observed, and Mrs. Glendinning
seemed TO have made up her mind that
disguise was best obtained by making
all the women dress alike. They were to
wear plainly made white dresses, black
dominoes and large-siZed masks. Glen
ton knew that the two white dresses that
she had made did her credit, but as she
surveyed them while waiting for the
girls, who were SO long coming, she felt
in her heart her talents had in this in
stance been thrown away, for almost any
maid worthy of the name could have run
up a dress that was good enough to wear
under a black domino. She had put all
her art into them, and it was scarcely fair
of their intended wearers not to come up
early enough to give her time to dress
thein so as to look like young ladies who
had q good maid.
While thoughts such as these were
traversing her mind, in came Miss Do
xothy Delaney, looking altogether dis
concerted.
you may put those dresses away,
GIenton," she said almost tearfulIy.
ave are not to 90 to the masked ball. but
80 the Relton's dance instead. Papa in
Bists on it. w all thought that he knew
about our having to 60 IN domlnoes and
masks, and supposed that he didn't mind
1t, as Mrs. G1endlnnlng Is such very,
very careful and particular person, and
~, ,uiY frNA. f1arf ha 4 low hat
we must have told him about it when he
was half asleep, for If he had understood
that it was a masked ball, not for mo-
ment would he have given his consent TO
anything so improper. We have been
trying to persuade him to let US go, but
it's no use, so there's an END OF all our
pleasure"
80, Miss Dorothy and after the pains
have taken with those pretty white
silks, and when you and Miss Alice do
look so nice in them! 1t would just Yex
saintp'
ut vexes a sinner, l assure yOu," SAID
Miss Dolly; but it can't be helped. /
have said everything that can be said,
and 80 has mamma, but he won't let US
go, SO you may put those dresses away,
Tor we can not go in spite OF him, more's
the pity. There is no way OF doing
that"
Alice came in time to hear what Dolly
WIS anu SACIdtIuSu.
Don't order those dresses to be put
away, Dolly. Why shouldn't we wear
them at the Relton's? And as for our not
being able to go 10 the masked ball in
spite OF papa, that's just what we could
do ii We were not going somewhere else
with mamma, and were naughty girls
who didn't mind stealing OF to the Ne
Vile Rooms without her knowing; for,
as every one is to be closely masked, no
one would ever find out that we had been
there"
Glenton. who was quietly putting the
dominOeS, masks and other things that
were not wanted out Of the way, and get
ting out other things that were, paused
IN what she was ldoing, and appeared to
take some interest in this speech.
Dorothy sighed, and then, having
fine, deeply-Seated conviction that, as
servants belonged to an entirely different
world from her own, 1t did not in the
least signify what she said before them,
for they could not possibly understand
it, and it would not much matter If they
did, she burst into tears and threw her
arms round her sisters neck, eXclaim
ing:
And after what happened to-day, too,
just when | did SO want TO put things
little straight! ., Alice! If you only knew
how miserable l feelp
Alice, who saw signs Of interest in
GlentOn's eyes, though she still appeared
to be giving her mind to what she was
doing, did not at all approve Of taking
her in their confidence, and answered in
French:
Miserable. because you can't go where
Cosmo Clare is, because you want to put
things straight! y GU have not sense
enough 10 put anything straight; you
would be much more likely 10 make 1t
ever SO much crookeder than it was be-
fore. Why, if mamma, were 10 go to the
Neville Rooms tonight, and you were to
dance every dance with him you would
Just behave as you always do"
How do | always behaYeY
Like an absolute idiot, my child! Con-
sidering how you love that man, your
folly is simply stupendous."
II sm afraid it is"
II know it is. l don't know whether
you do it from pure stupidity or from
nervousness, but no sooner does he show
any sign OF being in love with you than
you turn stiff and cold, and freeze up in q
single second"
II know, l know; and it is great deal
more true than you think. l AIN quite
certain that he would have proposed to
me this very day If | had not said some
thing so awkward and SO discouraging-
so dreadfully unkind and stupid, IN fact
that l am half afraid he will never want
10 say anything of the same kind to me
again."
"But why did you? Why on earth
couldn't you for once keep your silly lit
lie wits about your"
Dolly shook her head drearily.
81 don't know; l can't explain II. /
like him far better than I ever liked any
one else, and yet whenever he begins to
speak like that something comes over
me in moment. and l feel as il the one
wish of my heart was to get him to hold
his tongue"
nd Vol of Tvs Il -
les, and then l am miserable"
''And then three or four kind words
would have put all right when he was
here"
Yes, and I knew it, and could not say
them. Not those gloves, Glenton.
want to wear TAM.
TT is a very bad thing to be fool. 4"
said Alice; but it did not sound so bad in
French as it does in English
II know it is. replied Dolly meekly.
81 love Cosmo Clare. and treat him just
as if l hated him. Alice. we have our
white dresses on; we have nothing TO do
but put on masks and dominoes. You
might run to mammals room again, like
a darling, and just explain things little
TO her, and her TO 60 and persuade papa
TO let US 90 just this once"
1T would do no good; he has horror
of masked balls"
sOh, but you might ask mamma to try
~
mo, dear. no. You must see for your
self that she can do nothing besides. she
would rather you married Sir Edward
Deepdene."
''But I won't.''
'oh, 1 don't know! Judging from the
way you go on, you are much more likely
to marry man you don's like than one
you do"
shall never marry any one," said
Dolly with sudden relapse into de-
spair.