The San Francisco call., 1896-08-09
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air: his auburn hair was tightly curled
and he smiled rarely; his costume did not
call for smiles it was all velvet and satin
and heavy silver trimmings ike coffin.
knight Templar took Miss Grey under
his charge, and my escort was o melan-
eholy man in evening clothes, VINO had
powdered his nair and his mustache and
wore weariIy polite and superior smile.
The fancv-dress ball was fancy-dress
ball.-that is to say incongruous figures
mingled in the dance, matadors and harle-
quins and fairies and Turkish ladies and
Swiss peasants fiirted and danced.
Mrs. Whitehat pursued her triumphs to
the last: the door was always blocked with
crowd OF clowns and monks and courtiers
of the last century who pressed forward
to see her dance. Dancing IN England
means breathess whirl in one direction
and then pause, and then another whirl,
"madly, wildly, passionately."
Langham Graves danced with his
royal mantle and Mrs. Whitehat, he
seemed unwilling to discard either-both
testified mutely to his glory. The furious
envy with which he was regarded be
ignored with solemnity. And Mrs. White
hat returned after each dance, as did little
Miss Grey. and we compared notes.
My melancholy escort fell victim at
last and led Mrs. Whitehall through
funereal quadrille. She returned to me in
wrath.
HE kept showing me everybody" she
explained in enraged tones. "'Do you see
that woman with her toes turned in?' be
would ask, that is the cleverest woman in
the roomI Do you see that woman with
the Turkish costume and the gold belt
that is the most beautiful woman in the
roomp / never knew such an idiot!"
Langham Graves compensated for
everything; he danced with grace and
speed that Mrs. Whitehall affirmed were
divine. HE dances like a white man."
she explained and led him back like a
lamb to the sacrifice.
Poor Mr.. Graves was hero he went on
and on, his knees knocking together at
last, his hair first uncurling slowly and
standing up straight all over his head and
then collapsing into damp strings. His
mantle was crumpled velvet heap in one
corner. Between the dances he would go
out and gather strength at the buffet,
which was decorative and varied in
the extreme; or wander out into
the garden, in which the Chinese
lanterns swung gayly, and the weird
figures passed between the trees and over
the smooth lawn like gay and grotesque
shadows. At midnight l suggested tim
idly that it was time to go home; little
Miss Grey had been crippled early in the
evening by determined Spanish bull
fighter, who danced as though he were
killing bull. My escort had grown more
and more gloomy and had ended by re-
lapsing into sar6onic silence. And still
Mrs. Whitehall danced and danced and
danced Finally Miss Grey and 1 rose
solemnly; we were about to rebel We
placed hand on Mrs. Whitehat's arm; she
looked down at US, and her lovely smile
and her unimpaired freshness was some
thing to marvel at Home? Why, GER
tainlyl" she declared, and then in q whis-
per, "It's been little of bore, don't you
think?"
3 carriage was called and our melan-
choly escort prepared to see US home, but
as the carriage turned we could see Mr..
Eangham Graves sink into chair under
bobbing Chinese lantern, dripping tallow
tears, with his head forward and his arms
hanging listlessly at his side.
II think" murmured Mrs. Whitehall,
.'this has been dance Macabrel''
VAN DYcK BROWN.