Waterbury Democrat., 1901-09-05

terest her. It was tlfe world below, this-the world which is to most women, fortunately, a world invisible, in which the men whom they meet socially find their distractions, which was the keynote of her sermon. ''La vie est un carnaval, ou pon est toujours mieux ou nal masque." But as the evening wore away the elder woman asked herself if she were right in her methods? If Margot had been her own child would she have thus given her to eat of witches ap- ples? The girl was too old to pass unscathed through such an expert ence. But the masked face gave no clew to Margot's emotions; the close ly dominoed form neither shrank nor swerved from the pressure of the crowd.
 The girls own first conscious inn pression was that everyone she knew was present. Her next, that the room was full of soldiers. We'll set-up, straight-limbed, clear-browed men the men who would lead to the fore front of a battle, who would clear Dargai heights; who would serve as patriots and die as heroes.
 Her second was the dominant hope lessness that lined the women's faces. Wreathed smiles were there, parting lips, mocking repartees, eyes which had been tutored to melt at will; but in all the revels and laughter there was no single laugh which had not false ring. There was no true mirth, no absolute enjoyment. This orgie of mems passions struck her as more serious than a funeral, more sad than deathbed, and she could have found it easier to dance over the ashes of what had once been liy- ing men and women.
 It was phantasy, a nightmare, festival behind which despair lurked. The electric light was switched on to it's full brilliancy. Jewels glittered, voices rose high, women's white skins gleamed, and in their satin setting exquisite per fumes blended. lnere was the shim- mer of silk, the softness of lace; the. mockery of mirth; beautiful limbs whirled past, as now one woman, now another crossed her line of vision in the maddest, and yet in certain cases the most entrancing, dancing which she had ever seen. It was medley of passion, gigantic game of emotions, where artificial Ihearts were tossed in play. Tender glances were turned towards the man who piloted her through the crowd; words echoed in her ears now and again, whispers the full meaning of which did not reach her senses till later. Blinded by light, dazzled with color, stunned with sound, she groped her way through a throng in which she recognized many familiar faces. :.
 In the alcoves there were people sitting. She looked once, and did not look again. At the bar men and women stood together waiting for drinks; many of them drank out of the same glasses. Some women were leaning on the arms of the men's chairs; two women sat by one man he seemed a favorite. Discordant phrases in French, English, German, broken but unmistakable, reached her.
 The gowns were magnificent, if startling. It is only the inhabitants of such worlds as this who can af- ford to dress in perfection. The scenery represented Spithead; the band played upon the model of ships poop. Men in uniform-the at tendants = stood beside In the '.Lancers" the men seized the women by their waists and twirled them above their heads in the air, or lifted them bodily off their feet, and set them down again. In the crowd eager eyes peered close, trying to pierce the disguise of the masks; thick voices spoke hoarsely. Men pressed near, and once Jack Arbuthnot put his arm round the girls waist to withdraw her suddenly. There was a clash of broken glass! Some of the dancers paused; the rest continued, laughing. There was a rush in the direction of the companion ladder. A woman stood upon it, smiling, her arms, bare to the shoulder, outstretched. One of the attendants was behind her. He tried to hold her back. She was att tempting to make her way to the poop, where the band was playing. A knot of men gathered below and waved her on. Two out of the three principal figures seemed rather the worse for drink-one was drunk. The skirt of the woman's dress was torn; there was full yard of frilled scar let silk dragging on the ground The one man who was drunk stood dazed- ly swaying in the middle of disor- der of broken glasses. He had smashed a decanter from the bar. The smell of some strong spirit mixed with the white rose of opopanax scents. He stretched out his arms to- wards the woman, lurching forward. He had fine, ascetic face. "Soyez gentille pourmoil" h. half shouted, half sang, with a dim memory of the empire song, and fell, first against the companion ladder, and from thence to the beeswaxed floor, from which he was rescued by his companions when they had sufficiently controlled their laughterl The woman still stood, waving the glory of her white arms Margot turned, pointing mute ly at the limp heap on the foori ''The reverse side!" she said. Then her voice died away. It was her lo7er!-Black and White.
 Most Costly Animal.
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