Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-06-14

"'" W" action small turquols brace
let teil TO the ground. Inyo!untarily
pehzil stopped To pick IL up, and. as
she held out her hand to repossess her
SELF OF II. he slipped IL round her arm
ana fastened IL there once more. Then.
reckless feeling coming over him.
and the small white hand he loved
with such hopeless tondnsss being SO
Wei within his reach. he bent his head,
ana pressed u tender. despairlng, lin
sefins kiss upon IL. after which he
almost flung IL from him and walked
away.
What a sad. fnaI farewell Il seemed
to him! As for Mildred. she made no
further sign. but left the room as
noisslessly as she had entered il.
In tho hall she encountered Mabel.
radiant and whlts-robci. who said:
"What-not yet dressed. NIldr.d.''
And Mildred answered. Il shall
ba down presently" quite calmly. aud
then went on TO her room.
But, when the door was closed. and
securely fastened. an awful sense OF
dcsola,ion fell upon her. For the nrs,
time in her life she t.l, what IL was 10
DO alone. What had she doney wha,
was II sh. had thrown away forever
and cv.r7 She sunk upon her knees
by her bed. and. burylng her head In
the clothes. cried as II her heart would
break.
When Mildred came downstairs. the
ball was at its height. Dcnrll was
there. as calm aA ever. and apparently
In excellent spirits. at tho end of the
room. eonycrSins with her mother and
old Blount He was laughing. bu, his
mlrth was not ovcrStrained. neither
was his manner In any wise dlrcrcn,
from what II usually was: and. In
deed. only one intimately acquainted
with him would have noticed certain
bright CLEAN and glitter In his eyes
which bctokcncd fcvcrlshncss. lie did
not look toward the door. or In any
way faitcr In his conversation when
Mildred entered. Lady Caroline saw
her. however.
"Ah. there Is Mildred n, last" she
=" hsN k4uA' AaN hhAtN Asf
taken TO dress: and how white she
looks! hope she has not been over
exciting herself"
'TablcauS are about the most IA
tiguIns things know" said Dcnzil.
quietly. looking. not where Mildred
stood. while somebody was lnscriblng
his name upon her card. but straight
into Lady Carolinc's eyes.
so they are" returned her ladyship
to Dcnzil. in all good faith: "and MIL
dred Is not too strong. Now that ! see
Mildred" she went on little later.
Il began to wonder where Mabel can
be. | have not noticed her amongst
the dancers since first she came In"
Here she elevated her glasses to take
an anxious maternal survey o. the
room. Mabel was nowhere IN sight.
Where can she have gone to-" OK
claimed her mother: and tcst at that
moment her glance fell on the cur
tains that draped the window at the
lower end OF the apartment. They
were slightly parted. and through the
opening could be seen the balcony be-
yond. and on the balcony glimpse OF
white dress.
"That must be Mabel" decided her
ladyship impatiently. How extreme
ly foolish OF her thus to expose her
self in a thin light dress to the win
terry air! Who is with herr
MY nephew. l fancy" said old
Blount.
"Nabel is behaving most imprudent-
w." observed Lady Caroline with as
much austcrity in her tone as she was
c,nahIe of. "She will have half the
county talking OF her presently: and
there is old Lady Atherleigh at thi'
very instant with her spectacles on.
,oorinp in their direction. Mr.. iounge,
will YOU go and tell Mabel that l want
IN sneak to her directly"
"Nv dear Lady Caroline" returned
Denzil. 'it goes to my heart to refuse
YOU anything. even the smallest trihe:
hut lust consider what you have asked
me to do. Were l to interfere as you
wish me, should call down so many
secret bad wishes and indignant LOOKS
upon my head that have no doubt IN
tho world the consequences woulu DC
fatal" ,...
He laughed pleasantly as he spoke;
hut old Blount. who had been listening
did not laugh at all, keeping prema-
turely grave. ., IN,
my dear madam" he said "why IN,
terfere ut all7 The lad is soou 'au
and handsome lad, and Will come III
for all | have when am gone Let
them alone" ~ ;,
So Mabel and Roy were let alone 10
follow their own devices ana 'o''Se ~
quently enjoyed their evening " Inv
utmost.
Miss Sylverton. having danced Se.ei
times consecutively with Charles ire
vonion, was feeling perfectly content,
ed and at peace with herself ana, ana al
the rest of the world: while M,Iu,eu, ','';
pale and beautiful. with uls'"'Uod a"d