The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-22
Maruska, a Modern incident.
CTale from Blackwood's Magazine. In
Seven Parts.)

| CTale from Blackwood's Magazine. In
Seven Parts.)
PART V
| Lady Molly and Geoff looked up quickly
as the princess cane into the room. Did
thought-a desire-of a possible resi-
| dence for her in Jericho or Petersburg, as
Lord Bulverhythe had suggested, cross
| both their minds? Mr. Dallas" she said.
coming straight up to where Geoff stood,
and speaking quickly in her distinct for
eign tones,-'Mr. Dallas. 1 did make a
| mistake in saying would not dance with
you am not engaged. and l will dance
now, at once"
Had the princess suddenly thrown par
eel Of dynamite at him, Geof could hard
~ have felt more astounded or more IN
comfortable. In all his previous vast eX-
perlence he had never, while dancing or
sitting out with one lady, been followed
by another, soliciting the pleasure Of that
particular dance with himi He glanced
at MarUska and then at Lady Molly.
What had happened to the child in the
last few seconds? Had she suddenly
grown taller or got older? The little fig
IRE in the depths OF the old oak seat had
wrapped itself round in chilling dignity
as in cloak, ard the pretty red childish
lips had most unchild-Iike curl Of scorn
on them. Maruska stood silent, her eyes
fixed on Geof's face, one of her hands
playing with some loose waves of her
hair.
L am very sorry, princess" said Geoff,
that 1 can't have the pleasure of this
dance with you, but Lady Molly Hesketh
has been good enough to give it to me,
and we are just about to finish it."
He spoke very coldly, for he felt angry
at Maruska's intrusion al that particular
moment, and her strange request did not
hatter him in the least. Indeed he felt
himself to be occupying a ridiculous posi-
lion, and accordingly detested the woman
who had put him into it.
The next dance. then" reioined Ma
ruska, in her clear, steady tones.
For that, too, L am engaged" said
Geof, brusquely, beginning 10 show the
loss of his temper. Come, Lady Molly.
it's no use staying here, let US have the
short remains of our dance"
Maruska moved closer to GeoT and laid
her hand on his arm. Stay" she said,
you asked me for dance, and 1 will
dance with you. If not this, the next;
If not the next, the one AFTER
How does the bird feel as the net of
the fowler tightens around il? How does
the wearied fox feel as Governess, Gay
lass, and the rest close about him in a
yelling crowd? How does the fly feel as
he reluctantly treads the Via Dolorosa
which lands him in the spiders parlor?
What does d gentleman do when a lady
persists in asking him to dance with her?
Like the bird, the fox, the fly, he submits
to fate. Under them, he can curse It,
which is undoubtedly a consolation.
Molly" said Geoff, hurriedly and earn
estly, and dropping the conventional pre-
fix, Il want to finish what 1 had begun
to say to you in the oak parlOr when that
undesirable princess burst in. When can
L see you again alone, 1 wonder, with all
this horrid crowd of people about? No
chance this evening, for I know Mrs.
Plerrepont is going to stop the music
when the next two dances are over. To-
morrow we leave the house at ten, and
the whole day will be wasted in that
wretched shooting. Every moment 1 shall
be thinking of you and what you are
likely to say in answer to a question I
am going TO ask you-a question l almost
dread to ask you, for on its answer all
my life depends. This is what L shall do
directly we've got at the Hammonds, |
shall leave the others, take a short cut
by Rigden Rough, and get to the east
lodge soon after four. Now, do you think
Molly, you could manage to be walking
up the drive about that time, without n
crowd of other people hanging about?
Don't trouble to reply if you think you
can manage this, and remember the east
lodge, not the big one by the river And
do you know, Molly, / am so afraid of
your forgetting to take this particular lit |
tie walk that l think l had better slip !
this ring off my finger and beg you to |
keep it till you can restore it to me to- |
morrow afternoon. Give me something to /
restore to you, MOlly-that will make US |
feel so business-like and commercial. |
That little diamond ring viii dO-here, |
give it to me and 1 viii stow it away |
safe in my waistcOat pocket. It's no use |
to push it on one of my big /
fingers, but l will keep it very safe-tilI |
tomorrow"
Your ideas Of business would do credit |
to a Scotch Jew" said Lady Molly. try |
ing to look up unconCernedly at Geoff and !
to keep down the little shake in her voice
You get out of me good diamond ring
and only give plain gold one in ex-
change. However, as it is only for such
a short time, 1 suppose I must submit