The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-09-03
Spelling A SCHEME.


The charity, on account of which the
entertainment was being held, was a
popular one; some great ladies had
taken the thing up and made it sue
cess. And as many of the men, and
nearly all the girls were in fancy
dress, the scene was striking and brill
liant.
Among the Henrietta Marias, the
Amy Robsarts, Flora McDonalds and
other characters that filled the rooms,
one girls face took my heart captive
the moment I beheld it. She did not
look more than seventeen, though she
may have tAen a year or two older,
fair, slender, with sunny hair and to
represent the Snow Image Of Haw
thorne's charming fantasy, and the
character suited her style Of beauty
admirably. She vas pale as the snow
wreath that crowned her head, and
she seemed almost as fragile as the
;icicles that were her only ornaments.
The girls beauty was, indeed, re-
:marllable. People turned and looked
at her as she moved here and there;
and whenever she stood still she was
instantly surrounded by a small crowd
of men, eager to get their names put
down on her programme. [ noticed,
however, that there was a sad, alb
stracted look in her eyes. Her heart
was not in the ballroom.
In spite of all my efforts, I failed to
get an Introduction to the girl who
had fascinated me. 1 failed, even, to
learn her name. But. none the less,
I had fallen in love with her-like a
fool. I had fallen in love with a
=stranger-a vision that, in all likeli
hood I should never see again, but
would be for me as f1eeting and unsub-
:stantial as the Snow Fairy whom she
represented.
There was one other person at the
hall who attracted my attention. This
was tall, dark man, with a thick,
short, black beard, a man considera-
bly, over the middle height, and evil
identity possessing a strong will as well
as a powerful body. More than once
this man approached the Snow Fairy,
and on each occasion she seemed to me
to shrink from him, as if she, in some
way, had cause to fear him. They
the relationship between them was I
could not be sure, for the man seemed
too young to be her father. Surely, I
said to myself, with a jealous pang,
surely, he cannot be her lover.
The whole evening 1 pestered my
friends in the hope of getting, in some
indirect way, an Introduction to the
girl who had Fascinated me; but was
quite unsuccessful. Once her eyes
met mine. What she read there I do
mot know, but she suddenly turned
aside, her pale cheeks showing q sud-
den glow of rose color. VeXcd with
myself for making her blush. turned
away in the opposite direction, and l
took care OF to approach so near to
her again.
The evening wore on, and it was evil
dent that my ambition was not to be
gratifed About 3 o'clock 1 left the
ballroom, and, muffled in my thick
ulster, was making my way along a
side street which led to the main
-thoroughfare where haEsoms were to
p be found when l heard rush of fly
ing feet behind me.
I turned, and there, close to me,
stood the Snow Fairy, white opera
cloak wrapping her from head to foot,
and her sweet, sad face looking out at
me from within hood of swansdown.
l stood and stared, too much sur
prised to think or to form a conjec-
ture.
us there a letter box near?" she
gasped out, fer she was GREATNESS, as
much from excitement, it seemed to
ooh, please, please tell me. Where
shall I look for one?" she went on,
without giving me time to collect my
thoughts.
II don't know where the nearest let
ter box u.s." I replied, "but can easily
find out. If you will entrust your let
ter to me 1 will see that it is posted"
'No; I cannot; dare not entrust it
to anyone. Do try find out for me-
The words died away on her lips,
for she, as we'll as I, had heard the
noise Of some one running up to us,
and the next moment the man with
the short, black beard stood over us.
Rage knCtted the veins on his fore
head until they seemed to be near
bursting. Rage. for the space of two
seconds, kept him speechless. During
these two seconds the girl crept per-
ceptibly' nearer to Inc, and something
smooth, stiff, thin, like piece Of thick
paSteDOard, was pressed into my hand.
l slipped it at once into the pocket Of
my ulster.
what are you doing here?' he said,
to the girl, in tone of suppressed
fury; and before she lad time to an
:swer he turned savagely upon me-
"'How dare you speak to my daugh-
ter?" he demanded, advancing on me
in slow and threatening manner. I
had just time to see a look Of mute
supplication in the girls eyes. She
was entreating me lot to betray her.
Really, sir,' 1 said, with as much
GOODNESS as could command; really,
you must pardon me for saying that
you seem little less than reasonable.
One is permitted to speak to young
lady at a ball." '.a'
I'm the open street? In this clan
,destine manner?" -.E
1--WE were not in great privacy, to be
sure, but that might be urged in miti-
cation of the offense," l said, with a
smile.
You shall not hoodwink me. What
was that she, was saying to you when
came up?"
.'If had been guilty of an indiscre-
IL 90, &C., II