Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-12-30

would be if she were to marry Elsie's
;iuiuirer! 1 shouldn't dislike Il my
self, for he is SO well connected. ]
wonder IL Judith likes himg"
She thought she would just keep her
eye upon them during the evening
for Captain Herbert and his sister
were to be mt the ball-but events
TRANSFERRED 10 put the intention out OF
her head. She looked once or twice al
Judy's face In the lamplight. as the
carriage bowled along. but, being un.
able 20 read anything, only wondered
why she was so quiet. Was she think
ing with pleasure Of spending the even
ing with her admirer?
Judith's thoughts were far from the
becomingness of her costume or Cap
tain Herbert: she was wondering, rs
she had done hundreds OF times during
the past six days. why Claude had
taken no notice of her kilograms. If
he had received any of the messages.
he must have known that she had
something particular to communicate.
Was 1t possible that he was w%earying
OF the search-resigniDg himself to the
inevitable. as IL seemed? No; she could
not think that-his earnestness and
gravity OF I'M precluded it.
Here we are. Put on your mask,
Judy" Grace cried, as the brougam
stopped. You won't enjoy wearing It
for the first half-hour or SO, but by de-
grees you'll get used to IT,. ! think il
Is such fun. Mrs. Mainwaring sent
out n hundred and eighty Invitations,
so there ought to be some amusement
! for us. We don't unmask until we are
seated at the supper tables, and that
won't be until / o'clock.
Mrs. Mainwarring's large rooms
were well filed with all kinds and odds
OF characters when the two sisters en-
tered them: and for half an hour Ju-
dith was well amused with the novelty
OF the Gene. Knowing no one, and
being speedily separated from Mrs.
Fletcher, she tried to keep quietly to
herself I'm Il corner, and was successful,
until a slender man of medium height,
in blue satin court attire, RULED lace
and patches. with a powdered wig and
fair m~oustache, came up and whis-
pered her name, asking for the pleas
ure of n dance.
"Oh. 1t is YOU" exclaimed Judith.
laughing and blushing, as she recog-
nized Captain Herbert and remem-
bered her brother-in-law's banter.
How did you know me?'
by your height he answered. tri-
umphantly. You and Mrs. Fletcher
are much taller than the average wo~
men. Are you enjoying yourself?'
Very much, thank you. Is your sis
ter herel'
Yes: | mustn't tell you in what
character, because / promised to keep
the secret: but | may tell you she is
wearing powder-so are half n dozen
other m BY the way, she tells
me | ought TO have sacrificed my
moustache. What do you Think
Il suppose yon ought, too; but it
would have been a great pity just for
II nights amusement, wouldn't it?'
Yes. How sensible you are, OF
course, | might have chosen another
dress; but | had a fancy for this.
Margery suggested my r%egimentals in
preference; hut they would have been
no disguise at all to me. But how did
you know me, Miss Hatfield?' he
asked, eagerly.
"You mentioned my name, if you re-
member. and / do not know any one
but you in the ROOM"
THAT vas very stupid of MI had
iIt'ElNdCd " htCD yOu XII tuc udlh lOI II
little while. | had hoped you would
have worn powder-it would have suit
ed your dark eyes splendidly. What
made you choose 'Nighty' 1t is very
| nice, of course. and | dare say it suits
you; but still l wonder you chose it i'm
preference to a poudre costume
1T was suggested to me; but add
ed Judith, with a spice of unaccus-
tnnanH annrfQfyx- fhuf srtpv.riSnl ha,Gnlf
IF j had known a different choice
would have pleased some one else, /
might, perhaps, have made it."
II wish l had told you. them he re-
marked, taking her rather more liter
ally than she meant. But let us
dance
Judith enjoyed the waltz, as the cap
tain danced well and held her easily
hut with a firmness that surprised her.
They sat N the next dance, he anus
Ing her with his harmless gossip and
| criticism of the scene before them.
Just before he left her to keep an en-
gagement with another lady, he said,
suddenly:
when is Mrs. Townshend expected
home? She is having a long honey
NOON
Sne anu ner are DOtn fOnd
of travel" replied Judith. who felt
pleased that her sisters fight was not
generally known.
For about ten minutes Judith sat
alone, after which a m%usketeer begged
a dance: and when he was taking her
back to her seat. they saw Grace at a
little distance talking to a lady in yell
low-and-white brocade with n bunch
Of yellow roses in her powdered hair.
1T is Miss Herbert, / imagine" Ju-
9th thought. noting the youthful con-
tour of face aud figure; but she was
In doubt two seconds later, for another
lady with powdered hair passed her,
and. though this one was wearing n
combination of blue satin and lowered
brocade. there was sufficient resem-
blance In height and youthful charm
to make her identity very puzzling.
Either or neither Of them might have
been Miss Herbert, and Judith only in
clined to the belief that it was the La.
dy In yellow because she aud Grace
We're talking so earnestly.
RemarkiEg on the success of pow0er
as a disguise, her companion said:
There are five ladies here tonight
who have chosen to wear powder and
patches, and up to the present. with