Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-12-30

| my
: Tears rushed into her eyes, and she
turned to little arched recess, shaded
! by velvet curtains-her oratory-
where stood an exquisite white marble
statuette Of the Virgin and Child.
There she knelt for some minutes, her
face hidden in her hands, and when
she rose she was quite calm, though
very pale. She freshened her face
with cold water, rearrangeh her dis
ordered hair,-and then went down
stairs, thereby running into the arms
Of her husband who was coming up
again to look, as he said, at his
Sleeping Beauty"
"And here she is!'' he exclaimed
joyously. Have you rested enough, my
pet?"
Indeed, yes!" she ANSWERED. gently,
II am ashamed to be 30 lazy Have you
wanted me, Philip"
! II always want you" he declared.
, Il am never happy without you"
She smiled and sighed. you say
that to please me-" she said half visit
fully.
! II say it because it is true!" he
asserted proudly, putting his arm
round her waist and escorting her in
this manner down the great staircase.
! And you know it, you sweet witch!
You're just in time to see the lighting
up OF the grounds. Therell be a
good view from the ure-gallery--
lots OF the people have gone in there
you'd better come too, for it's chilly
outside"
| She followed him obediently, and her
temperance among her guests was
hailed with enthusiasm, Lady Win
sleigh being particularly etfhsive, al
most too much 80.
Your headache has quite gone,
dearest, hasn't it?" she inquired
sweetly.
I Thelma eyed her gravely. Il did not
suffer from headache, Clara" she said.
4 was little tired, but l am quite
ested now"
Lady Winsloigh bit her lips rather
vexidly, but said no more, and at that
moment ordinations of delight broke
from all assembled at the brilliant
scene that suddenly flashed upon their
eyes. Electricity, that radiant sprite
whose magic wand has lately been
bent to the service of man, had in less
than "a minute played such dazzling
pranks in the gardens that they re-
sembled the tabled treasure houses
discovered by Aladdin. Every tree
glittered with sparkling clusters of
red, blue, and green llght-every.
flower-bed was bordered with lines
and circles of harmless flame, and the
fountains tossed up tall columns Of
amber, rose, and amethyst sprays
against the soft blue darkness of the
sky in which lustrous golden moon
had Just risen The brilliancy Of the
Examinations showed up several dark
figures strolling in couples about the
grCunds--romantic persons evidently,
who were not to be persuaded to come
indoors, even for the music of the
band, which just then burst forth in
vltingly through the open window of
the picture gallery.
Two of these pensive wanderers
were Marcia Van Clupp and Lord AL
gernon Masherville,-and Lord Algy
was in a curiously sentimental frame
OF mind, and weak withal, CONNIE
une petite queue d agneau afllige."
He had taken a good deal Of soda and
brandy for his bilious headache, and,
physically, he was much better,--but
mentally he was not quite his ordinary
self. BY this it must not be under
stood that he was at all unsteadied by
the potency Of his medicinal tipple--
he was simply In bland humor-
which finds strange and mystic beauty
In everything, and contemplates the
meanest trilles with emotions of large
benevolence. He was conversational
too, and inclined to quote poetry
this sort Of susceptibleness often af-
fccts gentlemen after they have had
an excellent dinner favored with the
finest Burgundy. Lord Algy was as
mild, as tame, and as iabby as a
sleeping jelly-lish, and in this inof-
fensive, almost tender mood OF his,
Marcia bounced upon him. She looked
ravishingly pretty In the moonlight,
with white wrap thrown careessly
round her head and shoulders, and
her bold, bird-like eyes sparkling with
excitement (for who that knows the
pleasure Of sport, Is not excited when
the fox Is nearly run TO earth9), and
she stood with him beside one of the
smaller illuminated fountains, rails
ing her small white hand every now
and then to catch some Of the rain.
bow drops, and then with a laugh she
would shake them off her little pearly
nails into the air again. Poor Washer
vile could not help gazing at hel
with a -lustre anmiraton in hi.
pale eyes,-and Marcia, calculating
every move in her own shrewd mind
saw it, She turned her head ava,
with a petulant yet coQuettish move