Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-03-03

should carry such young faces, or per-
chance their hair had turned gray ear.i
Her than was its wont In the colonies.I
And, too, they seemed sadly disfigured
with boils, for on the chin or cheek
of nearly every one there showed al
things! sorrowed for them, 1t was
SO humiliating. Verify, pitied them
all, and speculated on the wonderful
compensations of Providence. With ALI
their wealth and rank, their lordly
castles and their Jewels, these noble
danes could not purchase that which
the humblest serving maid in Quebec
sunny locks. d
1 touched upon these matters to
Jerome, but he only laughed immoder-
ately. He was ever q light headed
young spark who gave no contempla-
ton to deeper questions than present
enjoyment
OF sudden my wits almost left me
at a terrible cutlery from one end Of
the great hall, cry not of human be-
ings but of wild beasts, muff1ed and
menacing. The dancing, the music, the
hum of voices ceased, and a thick ST.
lence as of direst fear fell upon them
all. Then there came a loud cracking
and shattering of glass, a woman's
scream, the first of very many. This
usual happening at ball, I had never
been to one before.
looked for Jerome He was gone.
speeding toward a young lady sur
passing fair, with whom he had been
speaking but a few moments since
fain would have assisted him, for the
damsel appeared wofully beset. but the
whole throng of mincing lords and
screaming ladies, in the rankest riot.
overran me. They swept me from my
feet and bore me back to the farthest
wall, where found myself pinned tight
and fast against window.
What the danger was l could not
see, but it must have been dolorous
from the headlong terror of their flight,
Soon by the thinning of the crowd
through the doors saw a cause II
was motley and a moving spectacle.
For by some mischance flock of sheep
had broken into the ballroom, and
frightened out of their shallow senses
by the lights and music, they rushed
pellmell here and there, upsetting with.,.
out discrimination whatever stood in
their path.
Verify such an onset would do bravo
work against an enemies ranks, for
could. our knights but make gap like
that, an army of children might march
through unhindered. All went down
alike before their charge, my lord and
my lady, the prince of the blood, and
the humblest page who bore his
pouncet box. Such slipping and
sliding across a floor slickened with
much wax and polishing. was never
In ballroom before, nor ever was
again. One old ram regarded each mir
ror as a certain avenue of escape, and
the radiating fracture of each taught
him no greater wisdom concerning the
others.
Standing spellbound as a statue in
the midst of the ruins, l caught sight
of a fiorid, rotund lady, speeches. in
her horror and her misery.
The duchess does not enjoy her
quaint surprise" laughed a light voice
behind me, and a slim finger directed
my gaze toward the lady whom / had
just noted.
observed then at my back, stand
ing upon a chair where she could see
the better, q young woman Of distin-'
guished appearance, rather more PLAZA,
ly attired than the balance. She APP
peared greatly to enjoy the confu-
sion.
(Conttnued Next Weekly