Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-18

Jane sat there looking so demure you would have thought mischief could not live within a league of her, but those very demure girls are nearly always dangerous She said, oh, so innocently
 Would you like to dance? If so, will play" And she reached for her lute, which was by her side.
 "Yes, that will be delightful. Mas ter Brandon, will you dance with me P asked the princess, with a saucy little laugh, her invitation meaning so much more to three of us than to Brandon. Jane and joined in the laugh, and when Mary clapped her hands that set Brandon off, too, for he thought it the quaintest, prettiest little gesture in the world and was all unconscious that our laugh was at his expense.
 Brandon did not answer Mary's invi- tation-the fit of laughter had probably put it out of his mind-so she, evidently anxious to win or lose her wager at once, again asked him if he danced.
 .Oh, pardon me! Of course Thank you!' And he was on his feet beside her chair in an instant ready for the dance. This time the girls laugh, though equally merry, had another tone, for she knew she had lost.
 Out they stepped upon the polished floor, he holding her hand in his, await ing the pause in the music to take the step. I shall never forget the sight of those two standing there together Mary, dark eyed and glowing; Brandon, almost rosy, with eyes that held the color of dark spring sky and wealth of flowing curls crowning his six feet of perfect manhood, strong and vigor- ous as a young lion. Mary, full of beauty curves and graces, veritable Venus in her teens, and Brandon, an Apollo, with touch of Hercules, were a complement each to the other that would surely make perfect one.
 When the music started, off they went, heel and toe, bow and courtesy, a step forward and a step back, in per feet time and rhythm-a poem of hu- man motion. Could Brandon dance? ? The princess had her answer in the first ten steps. Nothing could be more graceful than Brandon's dancing un- less it were Mary's. Her slightest movement was grace itself. When she would throw herself backward in thrusting out her toe and then swing forward with her head a little to one side, her uplifted arm undulating like the white neck of a swan-for her sleeve, which was slit to the shoulder, fell back and left it bare-sh was a sight worth long journey to see. And when she looked up to Brandon with a laugh in her brown eyes and a curving smile just parting her full, red lips that man would give. his very luck to but had better stop.
 tWas there ever goodlier coupler asked Jane, by whose side sat.
 Never" she responded as she played, and, strange to say, was jealous be- cause she agreed with me. was jeal- Ous because feared it was Brandon's beauty to which she referred. That I thought would naturally appeal to her. Had he been less handsome I should perhaps have thought nothing of it, but knew what my feelings were to- ward Mary, and judged, or rather misjudged, Jane by myself. sup posed she would think of Brandon as I could not help thinking of Mary. Was anything in heaven or earth ever so beautiful as that royal creature dancing there, dainti1y holding up her skirts with thumb and first finger, just far enough to show a distracting little foot and ankle and make one wish he had been born a sheep rather than a gentient Esan who had to live without Mary Tudor? Yet, strange as it may seem, was really and wholly in love with Jane. In fact, loved no one but Jane, and my feeling of intense admi- ration for Mary was but part of mans composite ineonstancy.