The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-08-27

MNA ity on account of which
IA the entertainment was
" being held was a popu-
lar one; some great ladies had taken
the thing up and made it a success.
And as many of the men and nearly y
all the girls were in fancy dress, the
scene was striking aud brilliant.
Among the Henritta Marias, the
Amy Robsarts, Flora McDonalds and
other characters that filed the rooms,
one girls face took my heart captive
the instant beheld il. She did not
look more than seventeen, though she
may have been year or two older, fair,
slender, with sunny hair and q milky
white complexion. She was dressed
to represent the Snow Image of Haw-
thorne's charming fantasy, and the
character suited her style of beauty
admirably. She was 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.
markable. Peop'e turned and looked
at her rs she moved here and there 4:
and whenever she stood still she was
instantly surrounded by small crowd
OF men eager to get their names put
down on her programme. [ noticed,
however, that there was sad, alb.
stracted look in her eyes. Hey heart
was not IN the ball room.
In spite of all my efforts l failed TO
get an introduction to the girl who
had fascinated me. l failed even to
learn her name. But none the less |
had fallen in love with her-like n
fool. | had fallen in love with a
stranger--a vision that in all likeli-
hood | should never see again, that
would be for me as heeting and unsub-
stantial as the Snow Fairy whom she
represented.
There WAS one other person at the
ball who attracted my attention. This
was n tall, dark man, with thick,
short, black beard, man considera.
bly, over the middle height, and evil
IDENTIFY possessing strong will as well
ns r,e deal is he"r(.ly More than once
tn, INT gold standard dol. = snow Fairy
ani"h uoiich occasion she seemed to
me to mhink from him, as if she in
some way had cause to fear him. They
were evidently connected, but what
the relationship between them was
couid not he sure, for the man seemed
TOO young to he her father. Surely, /
said to myself with jealous pang,
surely he cannot be her lover?
The whole evening j pestered my
friends IN the hope OF getting, in some
indirect way, au introduction to the
girl vino had fascinated me, but was
quite unsuccessful. Once her ewes
met mlue. What she read there | do
not know, but she suddenly turned
aside, her pale cheeks showing Il sud-
den glow of rose color. Vexed with
myself Tor making her blush, turned
away IN the opposite direction, and
too6 care not to approach so near her
again.
he evening wore on, and il WAS
evident that my ambition was not to
he gratifed. About o'clock / left
the ball room and, muilled in my
thick ulster, was making my way along
II side street which led to the main
thoroughfare where hansoms were to
be found, when ! heard rush of fly
ing feet behind me.
] turned, and there, close to me,
stood the Snow Fairy, Il white opera
cloak wrapping her from head to foot,
and her sweet, sad face looking out at
me from within hood of swansdown.
stood and stared, too much sur
prised to think or form a conjecture.
'ls there letter box near" she
gasped out, for she was breathless, as
much from excitement, it seemed to
me, as from the exertion of running.
"Oh, please, please tell me. Where
shall | look for one?" she went on,
without giving me time to collect my
thoughts.
81 don't know where the nearest
letter box is," replied, "but / can
easily find out. Ii you will intrust
your letter to me l will see that it is
posted"
"No, cannot; / dare not trust it
to any one. Do try to find out for
ne"
The words died away on her lrs,
for she, AS well as !, 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 knotted the veins on his forehead
till they seemed to be near bursting.
Rage, for the space of two seconds,
kept him speechless. During those
two seconds the girl crept perceptibly
nearer to me, and something smooth,
stiff, thin, like piece of thick paste
board, was pressed into my hand. /
slipped it at once into the pocket OF
my ulster.
''What are you doing here?" he said
to the girl in a tone of suppressed
fury; and before she had time to an.
swer he turned eavagely upon me-
"How dare yoqspeak to my daughter, "
be demanded, advancing upon me in a
slow and threatening manner. Ihad