The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-15

wherein one of the notable balls OF tn
season was just expiring to dirge o
weary fiddles somewhere about daybreal
of winter morning.
All around them lowered shapes in
credibly bundled beyond the original line
of feminine humanity. in full, sweeping
garments of costly texture, from tn
openings of which beloved revelations o
gauze and lace, their jewelled, plumeC
OF befowered heads, more imagined thar
perceived, arising from high collars OF
softest fur. Many of these victims OF
fashionable necessity had danced through
the night, after a preliminary exercise
of formidably prolonged gastronomy and
q couple of hours of incidental converse
ton at the opera. Those blessed with the
elasticity of young muscles and beliefs
the ordeal had left tired, but unappalled
at the prospect of repeating it during
many succeeding evenings. Their elders,
with no such sustaining aids to the en-
durance of high society, were standing
at their posts, half comatose, but wholly
conscious of pursuing draughts of chill
air from continually opening and shut
ting front door. and of feet that had
stood too long in evening shoes, await
ing the joyful announcement of their
carriages in the line. The men of this
heroic band were mostly huddled in fur
lined overcoats, their hats driven far
down over their brows. like those of
stage conspirators, behind the exhausted
turnkey whose business it was to convey
to waiting sufferers information when
their respective vehicles stopped the way
Whenever the trumpet call of the Off
cial on the sidewalk proclaimed this glad
Intelligence to Mrs. Brown or Jones with
In, there was a frantic reckoning and
calling of the favored ones, who, duly
captured by their male proprietors, would
gather their draperies ground them and
dash through the ranks into the de-
Nverance Of departure. Those left would
sigh and look into each others glazing
eyes. wondering why their coachnen
would never push forward in the line,
why their daughters would always insist
upon finishing the cotillon and why they
themselves had nothing but this abnor-
NAL strain upon health and spirits to
look forward to until the seasons end.
The neither side of exclusive society in
the metropolis did not, however, seem
appreciably TO afflict the man and the
girl who had teen Withdrawn into the
rear ranks of the waiting crowd, and
half obscured by n palm sprlnging from
q large porcelain jar. were engaged in
close conversation. Several people who
locked at it checked the inclination. to
break in on the tete-a-tete by casual OBJ
servations, and turned away with dis
Greet intelligence. Others, made spiteful
by thwarted sleep. exchanged sarcastic
comments as to the outcome of affair
clearly in progress. The girls maid, who.
IN default of absent protectors. had spent
the night on a chair in the upper hall,
looking on and chatting with others of
Ter kind, was buttoning the flap of her
Jacket over her chest and pulling closer
around her neck a small boa of cheap fur,
as the wntry blast pierced it's way be-
tween the hinges of the door behind
which she stood. wearing a somnambu-
lists expression OF Indifference to earthly
circumstances.
But it was impossible for people to be
totally Indifferent to what seemed a
crisis, or the approach to a crisis. in Anne
Sherbourne's long standing affair with
Walter Bowie For quite three years
their names had been coupled and dis
cussed. Anne Sherbourne had been be-
fore and during that time constantly be-
fore the public an exponent of vogue.
without fortune and beauty without ar
rogance. She was, in short. one of those
naturally charming and winning crea-
lures, liked by both sexes, invited every
where for herself. whom it seems a pity
time should touch with the necessity for !
asking. why does she not marry?" But |
as every mothers son doth know, a !
girl who has been out even three seasons !
and is entering upon her fourth without /
q hint of an cement is generally on /
the downfall of pretension as a belle. 1t /
IS her duty to step to the rear and let |
others have a chance-to so in for cats
or literature, landscape gardening or
mushroom growing, maternity hospitals ;
or high art photography, to say nothing
of athletic sports. Anne, who had known .
eight seasons, and was still TO the fore,
was indeed a wonder.
The fair Anne was perfectly well aware
that society had decided Walter Bowie
10 be her secret choice. as she was his;
that people were tired of discussing when
their engagement would be announced;
that more than one more eligible sutton
Irom society's point of view had been
sent away by Miss Sherbourne. because
she could not resign herself 10 give Wal
ter Bowie mp.
Tonight she had been ir a reckless
mood. She had thrown of her usual
reserve with him in public. allowing him
to dance with her so often during the
Cotillon-he esewhue standing unattach-
ed III Il distant doorway-that other men
resigned the attempt TO interrupt their
Pas de deauX, and her partner sulked
viSibly. At supper. where she had been
takeh in by Mr. Wilmington Baxter. a
neoulous millionaire OF recent introduc-
ton late their ranks. Bowie. with nothing
In particular a year. handsome. clean
cut young face and evening clothes rather
tie worse for some years of service. had
eloowed Baxter out of place audaciously
and left him Tuning. In fact. Bakers
automobile had been long since called
e the iron; 10 carry that discounted
hero home. while Bowies chariot. which
was. the cable car running obligingly
all night long in an adjacent avenue. had.
rs has been seen. yet to claim its fire.
Queater.
DO You suppose they are at last en-
H'e@N~ 'NN%NNN "a 4i-~aA-4 etAtAS person. VINO
had leisure at balls for observation. of
her mamma. q dinner-soing dowager.
Ny dear Garcia. this is not the time
for supposing anything. Unless Richards
and Thomas have the sense TO get our
carriage up to the door soon shall drop.
think il is perfectly heartless Of two
people to go or rafting and talking and
laughing 10 each other the way Anne
and Bowie are doing. when everybody