Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-09-10

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\ hnlXTN Al There were three
" 1I &MNM|'I men with the girl,
Y vY VIII and only Lancas-
NV III ter was with Miss
M III Terrence. How
VIZ A ever, as he was
" ~ all the world to
her, Helena-like. she lacked not worlds
of company. The-six mon met on the
walk in front Of Captain Lansing's
quarters.
Lansing was a cynic who observed
his kind and told the result of his OBJ
servations. Such are deservedly I'M
popular, but command appreciative
audiences that are the envy of the
good-hearted. 1t was to an audience
Of the sort that he recounted the meet
ing, the same afternoon, when the
band stopped playing and the invad-
ing hosts from the town had scattered
and left the post to its rightful owners.
dorothy Terrence" he began,
laying his sabre across his knees and
settling back to the temporary repose
which alone can fall to the lot of the
officer of the day-"Dorothy Terrence
came up the walk. She had Lancaster
with her, and she was looking happy.
Miss Leeds-the bankers daughter,
you know-came down the walk. She
had Kant, and Dartmoor, and Fer
guesson with her, aud she was look
ing like a celestial being. They were
both dressed in white--but there was
q difference. Mrs. Lansing says it
lay in silk foundation. De that as
il may, there was a fearfully and
wonderfully made hat, all drifts and
mists, and sprays OF white, atop Of
Miss Leeds, and a fluffy. all.round
sort Of psrssol atop Of that. Dor
othy saw Miss Leeds from
afar, but the latter did not see
Dorothy. They came together in
front Of my qusrters-'and 1 with my
harp was there Dorothy moved to
one side. It was her instant attitude,
and, I fear, prophetic. The woman
who steps aside can always stay there.
But all might have gone we'll, and this
story might never have been told, if
Kant had not indulged his vulgar pro-
pensity for introductions. Miss Leeds
bestowed q sweet and transitory smile
upon Miss Terrence; but Lancaster is
not the best-looking fellow in the Pre-
sidio for nothing. If any of you hap
pen to share my good fortune of know
ing her, You will understand what
in the nature of things and OF men
happened when she turned her eyes
upon him with trick she has of SEEM
ing to look into ones very soul. She has
the most beautiful voice outside of the
heavenly choir, and she brought it in
to play also. Dorothy stood it as long
as she could, and then she tried to get
him away. He never even heard her.
II Miss Leeds had not gazed soul
searchingly at him, and told him that
she must be going, but would see him
at the hop, he doubtless would be
standing there still, with Dorothy
anxiously watching him. 1t will be
worth going to the hop to see things
happen.
Lancaster stood at the door of the
dressing-room and watched Miss
Leeds, whilelhs waited for Dorothy.
He saw her throw back her gorgeous
cloak and drop it from her with the
careless disdain of a celestial creature
discarding some temporary earthly gar
ment. That it fell on chair and
crushed other less splendid wrappings
beneath it was a detail which escaped
him. He watched her as the huddling
feminine mass made way for her at the
mirror and she stood unchsllenged.
leisurely touching her glimmering
brown hair and pinning great white
rose upon her shoulder.
Dorothy waited at his side for fully
Ave minutes before he saw her. Then
she laughed mockingly mp into his
face, and wished that her laughter
might have been blow.
As soon as he could leave her he
went running aud sliding across the
floor to where Miss Leeds stood at bay
before q besieging group. She was
backed against the wall, and a sun
burst OF ssbres was just above her
head.
"There are only twenty Dances"
she kept repeating, "and I never
divide"
Lancaster took two of his fellow.
officers by tho shoulders and put them
out OF his way. Miss Leeds looked
into his eyes aud smiled as, it seemed
to him, no woman had ever smiled be-
fore. She put her card into his
hand.
"The two with tho crosses are the
ones promised you," she said. And
as she had promised aud he had
asked nothing, his heart beat high
with triumph.
Not that it was a case of love at
6rst sight. He was in love with
Dorothy. But the most faithful of
men may pay the court she expects to
belle, and may allow himself to be
hattered by her marked favors.
He could honestly, then and for
several weeks afterward, give Dorothy
the comfort she sorely needed, and say
that ho did not even think Miss Leeds
beautiful. "She has style and charm"
he passed judgment, ''but not beauty.
And she is . hirt." He meant that
Miss Terrence should understand how
entirely he abhorred that.
"Did she try to Airt when you called
upon herr"
He had made q point of confessing
the call directly it was made, and he
thought it tsctless OF Dorothy to insist