The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-20

says with sudden luminous smile:
There, Jack; it is time for you to
prepare for the ball. If you care half
as much for me IS you would have me
| believe, it won't be necessary for me to
beg you not to let any of the pretty
/, masks there steal your heart away from
me-
| With this she leaves him. strange lit
tie laugh floating back to him as she
goes.
| "Odd," he murmurs, shadow on his
brow and a curious dull. void ache in
! his breast. ''Sweet and gracious as she
| is, whenever 1 attempt to break through
the barrier of her womanly reserve she
becomes a human icicle. l wish she would
think of me more in the light of a hus-
band wonder why she was so anxious
that 1 should drop my studies tonight
and go to the ball A mask ball on
| Christmas Eve! There won't be any gol-
Gen mean in a thing of that kind. It
will be either suicidally tame of Bac-
| chanalian riot. and l detest one almost
as much as 1 60 the other. Besides, con
| found it! She won't be there
The mask ball given by friend Of the
the glow and sheen of bizarre toilets,
/ the musky breathings of rare exotics and
| the rhythmic, palpitant rush of pleading
| passionate music. one seems no longer
on earth but in fairy land.
| Amid the splendors of this bewitching
scene Jack Desmond in a plain mask and
dc mino, is making his way through crush
of Turks, Beers, flower girls, wizards.
Lpiu
| and nuns when light hand is laid on
his arm and a musical voice murmurs at
his ear:
"Sir Mask, word with you please"
With a sudden strangling leap of his
heart Jack turns.
Yes, it is just as he feared. The same
radiant young creature ne saw few
moments ago standing under one of the
lily-wreathed arch-ways, the centre OF
circle of masked galliards, several or
whom had been vainly begging the favor
OF a dance, is here before him.
How his pulses throbbed and his breath
hurried when a short while ago his eyes
first rested on her! With her softly lum-
inous draperies floating about her like
clouds of woven pearl, jewels flashing in
her rosy little ears and on her bare beau
t;fuly nodded arms, she seemed to him
the incarnation of all that was lovely and
lovable in woman.
A moment later, however, the last words
OF his WIFE ut won't be necessary for me
to beg you not to let any of the pretty
masks there steal your heart away from
ne?" came darting through his memory,
stabbing his soul with rcmorsetul palr.
AS in a fash then he realized his dan
ger; knew that this unknown girl, the
very sight of whom, stirring his soul with
delicious dreams of the past, aroused
within him such bitter sweet tumult, was
one he must shun if he would be true to
himself and to his wife who trusted him
1t was to escape from her presence. to
put himself beyond the reach of tempta
ton, that he was pushing his way through
the crowd at the entrance intending at
once to leave the hall and return homo
Eut now?
There is no longer any retreat, for she
is here beside him. His arm is trembling
beneath the touch Of her ieweled hand,
and she is saying in tones that make his
heart leap again:
Take me into the conservatory, won't
you? The heat and the crush here arc
growing unendurable.''
If the request surprises him, he makes
no sign? Bowling mutely, he offers her
his arm, and the two pass under an arch
OF white star-like flowers into a cystal-
walled little Eden, where moOn-like lamps
and splashing fountains CLEAN and glis-
ten amid the maze Of sweets around.
Let us stop here" says the girl, sink
ing upon a rustic seat and pushing aside
her airy draperies to make room Tor him
beside her.
AS one under spell he takes the place.
drinking in with rapid breathing the sub
tie perfume that rises from her corsage
and hair
TELL me-" he says, speaking with df
ficulty-''tell me where we have met be-
fore?''
Her lustrous eyes laugh into his with
tender coquetry.
"Are you so sure, she says. chat this
is not our first meeting?"
EYES," impetuosuly. your voice. your
eyes are as familiar to me as my OWL.
They carry my thoughts back-far back
to a child / once loved.-But what am
saying? 1t is not of myself l would
speak but of you. Won't you tel! me
who you are?"
A little laugh stirs the silkea fri1sea
OF her mask.
Why" she asks, are you so eager to
be toldo''
Because" with a deep breath. ''thi::
is no chance meeting: it cannot be. You
know ne, do you not?"
$50 WELL" swaying sweetly toward him,
that neither mask nor other disguise
could ever hide you from me. Nay, If
were dead and your footstep stirred
the silence near my grave I believe my
poor dust would thrill with the con-
seriousness that you were near"
His face pales, quivers, grows suddenly
a burning red.
''Be generous" he says, ''and tell ne
your name?"
Her bosom heaves against the roses
caught in her fichu of flmy lace.
NO she replies, mot that But -"
here her voice sinks to a whisper of IN
describable sweetness-'if you wish you
may remove my mask"
Will he? Dare he? Eager to know
what it may yet be almost death TO
know? All, into what mad folly is tbs
dark-eyed enchantress leading him:
AS she bends her head mist gathers
before his vision; but leaning toward