The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-03-26

Crecy, her passionate, dark ing glance
and heightened beauty betraying the tri-
umph of the moment to her! and here
was Loveday, g,ancing in and out among
the dancers unattended, her wild AMI
brilliant graces fresh as ever, as If to
prove her care free independence of
Auberon's smiles.
Toward her Accrington wends his way
with melancholy sweetness, and, catch
ing her eye, without word wooes her to
him by the sheer force OF his dominant
gaze To see her struggle against him,
whirl past with defiant glance, circle
round the grassy mead, and fit back, a
little nearer each revolution, lured by his
eyes-those deep, dark. mournful eyes
that seem to brood over grief and wrong,
and to plead for sympathy-tiil at last
she is close to him, laughing out sill
very echo Of the waltz! She sweeps him
the presentation courtesy" and comes
up to recover with fairy feet pointed,
and look of petulant waywardness,
crying:
"Here / am. Colonel; now speak quick
ly, for my turn comes next to dance"
81 did not summon you, Sprite." said
Accrington, very softly, and looking
smile.
"But-yes, you did! You"
Looked at you, that was ALI" MUIR
INJURED the gentle tones in her ear; 'but
perhaps mesmerized you q little "
Perhaps he did!
She tried to look at him independent
ly, but could not endure, without emo
ton, the earnest beseeching of his gaze.
hod fnr
I saw you talking with her." said Love-
day, turning away, but slowly.
@You will give me ono waltz" asked
he, staying her in spite of herself.
Size hesitated, glancing involuntarily
which Accrington instantly OWNED as
might not be to Anberon's taste.
at is but little thing for careworn
man like me to ask from your buoyant
youth, that you should give me back FIVE
minutes of my by-gone days of happi-
ness!" said he wistfully. "Shall you
dislike 1t so much?"
~No, no, no. no, battered she, abashod;
Il shall waltz with you for my next
partner" And with that he let her go.
In few minutes Merton Rae was
disengaged, and Accrington seized the
opportunity.
"Her grace sent me to amuse you,
Queen of Scots, he said, airily, leading
her for promenade.
IL am Quiescent," returned the lady,
absently; "do your best.
"Fair queen, beseech your add"
a'Tis yours, Sir Colonel Speak,"
u love lady,"
"Eh bien! So do most men,"
"Alas, / have rival
Impossible. Who could rival Colonel
Accrington?"
"Sweet demoiselle, you are pleased to
laugh at me; yet am in trouble.
@Did you not offer to amuse me?"
"Trne. Well. yon may laugh, yet help
me, and will be ontent."
IL help you Is 1t possible?"
@Are you not as wise as you are witty
as good as you are pretty? You GER
tainly can, II you will, do much to extri-
cate me from dilemma"
@Ah, now l am dying to aid you, your
flattery is so sweet. Only show me how
l can be of use to you"
Suppose a cavalier. much like that
dark browed fellow Accrington, loved a
sunny -tressed Aurora like"
"Miss Dellamere, for instance" inter-
posed Merton, laughing mischievously,
as he stopped and looked at her. "Oh,
l have not been blind, dear Colonel, and
l wish you every success.
~Thank you, Lady Merton; now /
shall tell you the obstacle. Suppose
this lady was half prom: sed, by the par
ents, to q young man who loves herr
(Merrion started and changed COLOR
abut only with a fraternal love-" pro-
ceeded Accrington, who had not lost
this sign of emotion. @for his whole heart
is evidently given to another, and that
other"
ala! ha! hal quite Comedy Of Err
rors,'" laughed Merton, defiantly meet
ing his significant glance, though her
brilliant face glowed with rich bushes.
sand now, what part can I play in all
this? Or have you yet to come to that
point?"
sand that other" resumed Accrington.
boldly, "has only to accept lis atten-
tions for few days, during which she
may be endeavoring to teach her own
heart to respond to his. Thus the first
named lady will feel herself free to love
me, and all will end we'll"
"But by what caprice do you confide
al this to me?" demanded the high
spirited girl, who would rather have
persisted than permit any one to guess
the state of her heart toward Auberon.
"Ah, well-perhaps only to amuse
you! Let US talk of something else,"
said the Colonel, carelessly. And quite
convinced that she understood all that
was necessary, he soon led her back to
her friends.
They danced together, Richard Ac-
crington and Loveday Dellamere.
He slid his nervous arm about her
waist, his left hand cIasped her finger
tips delicately, firmly. They Hoated
round among the others, light as shad-
ows Pickering, and upborne by the wild
measure Of waltz-whirlwind. His
warm breath on her brow, his dark
eyes softly shining down upon her, his
gentle strength supporting hers as IL
one will governed their motions A sim
gnlar sensation gradually took posses
sion Of Loveday, as II she was being
borne out of herself, a feeling as dreamy
and delicious as inexplicable. Perceiv-
ing by the relaxing of her self-poise his
growing power over her, Accrington
softly frightened his Gasp of her waist,
stole a firmer hold of her hand, and,
timing his movement to the long-drawn,
longing notes of the next musical bars,
he bent lower over her, and allowed his
dark eyes, charged with unutterably
beseeching tenderness, to feed upon
hers. All his soul streamed forth in
that enraptured gaze. 1t could not
start]e or repel her, it was SO very hum