The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-05
(Continued from Last Sundays News.)
CHAPTER XVI.
PRETTY MARoUIsE

PRETTY MARQUISE
The two friends walked through
sort of opera bouffe to find her; music
playing. swaying crowd. bright
lights, bright eyes, pretty women,
glimpse of dancers footing it over a
polished floor in a room beyond-a
hundred colors flashing and changing,
as the groups shifted, before the eye
could take in the composition of the
picture. A sudden thrill of eXhiliration
rioted in Johns pulses, and he trem-
bled like a child before the gay dis
closure of a Christmas tree. Meredith
swore to himself that he would not
have known him for the man of five
minutes agone. Two small, bright red
spots glowed in his cheeks; he held
himself erect with head thrown back
and shoulders squared, and the idoiiz-
ing, Tom thought he looked as king
ought to look at the acme of power and
dominion. Miss Hindale's word in the
hallway was the genius touch; bent,
gray man of years-a woodland be-
hold the Great John Harkless, the
youth of elder days ripened to his prime
of wisdom and strength! People made
way for them and whispered as they
passed 1t had been years since John
Harkless had been in the midst OF
crowd of butterfly people; everything
seemed unreal or like a ball IN play,
presently the curtain would fall and
close the lights and laughter from his
view, leaving only the echo of music.
1t was like a kaleidoscope Tor color;
the bouquets of crimson or white or
pink or purple; the profuslon OIL pretty
dresses, the brilliant, tender fabrlcs,
and the handsome, foreshortened faces
thrown back over white shoulders In
laughter; glossy raven hair and fair
tresses moving in quick salutatlons;
and the whole gay simmer OF Iestal
tints and rich artihcialities set OIL
against the brave green or outdoors
for the walls were solidly adorned with
forest branches, with, here and there
amongst them, a blood-red droop of
beech leaves stabbed in autumns first
slxirmish with summer. The night was
cool, and the air full of flower smells,
while harp, violin and cello sent
waltz-throb through it all.
They looked rapidly through several
rooms and failed to find her indoors,
and they went outside, not exchanging
word, and though Harkless was a lit
tie lame, Tom barely kept up with his
long stride. On the VerandaS there
were fairy lamps and colored mean
descents over little tables, where peo-
9iS 7o,,.' 90 where a myriad
DeS0iIu, M',' q 1,'N4a.,,s o,tlinad them
selves clearly in Enthusiastically shaped
planes of scarlet and orange and green
against the blue darkness. Many cou-
- go . ~ t,,a ,1o,,re, ,,,e1, naused
e,le ~ 49, ps'N Ino1tipo swiftly from
on .iis 800, Ct Is7as not tbore
ei ~ ~ S9 - $3.50 IN +be dancine-
Ne neH NV r. 1920 81 bic co,I9-
Iooiil, s4Il o ,n,a,.oS,,f,,IIT2 Iobn tnrn-
paiiioii 81 tbeI, re-antered tba
Gu lNiNA'' civ
HCISe .4... f.,.,, lor l., tho blac1,-
re ne'u POI seu .,i+Ie III, H. 1ioiyo 90
m n o. s'4 - ~ W. ,nr 70 hin, INT q
nsn' ~ 80, slo w iiohts +bat he eaw
wa9 ~ :. Tho Savce vas inst endad
nei &c an. - :, r,,ido dooruav beIf
anu siie 800 ~, III ra+t,- o;rIe a,,d yo,1no
SUI "ullueu W P.,,ootti1s. Re-, ~ "a
men, s ~ 80. 80 5o,. Cba WIS 1eaning
one -, LUZ ~ - o,.,,,s f,,u Of f,oHvars
~ 'iS III az "a e. o5ta1,+ ce,,ta,. 30
an az se 49, "a eraiatNr of the nIace
al ne Isl - 1900 sbort ord ~
E 49,, w. - 80 retter DOT
clalIiieu upoii HSi IOI 1919. - to.o5 go
USE 10 ne ou , nF4a,. .a,,oo t1ao
ee ne. hoa,,tI, v,,sIad o1.ar him
selse VI nSi toi;S,aS ~ Festive ~ ~
<Aiu iie -. ~
Iole, lol sie was ~ e''ie' 'i''Ai' -' AA''
et .el, SCI -, - o.;oa. hit Hob,
,ass 0 ala ,1ot understend AZ thew