Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-09-08

. IGdNuCu the DOllOlu, nc UilSu grass
with water from the crystal filter that
stood on side table in the porer's
box, and sailed out.
The night air struck upon his hot
brow in cool and welcome fashion,
and Jack stood for a moment or two,
fighting with the hazy and Supplying
emects of the nights work.
II won't go home yet" he muttered
Len will be cut up; he always is.
He's as bad as father-almost as bad
as mother-in-law. Well, didn't
touch the cards, anyhow. And if it
had not been for those two idiots, Ark
and Daily, | shouldn't have got so far
into the champagne. How bright the
stars shine-an unaccountable number
of them tonight" Poor Jack! Never
saw such a quantity! No, ! won't go
home yet I'll walk it off if | have to
walk till tomorrow morning. Where
am /? All where is she? Thank
Heaven, she isn't near me now! I'm
not fit to see her; not worthy to touch
her hand. But | did touch it; and,
with kind of wonder at his audacity,
he stretched out his hand and stared al
it under the gaslamp.
Then he walked on perfectly indit-
ferent to the direction, perfectly indif-
/ ferent 10 the WEAKNESS which was
gradually-no, rapidly-coming on
him.
Just at this time, while he was walk
ing off the drowsy dream that had got
possession of him, stream of car
riages was slowly moving down Park
Lane, taking up from one Of the best
known houses in town-Lady Meri-
Wales was to be acknowledged as one
Of that small but powerful portion or
humanity known as the upper ten"
1t was one of her ladyship's grand
balls, and not only were the ball and
drawing rooms full, but the staircase
also and any one wishing to enter or
exit had to make his way down a mar
row line hanked on either side by the
youth and nobility Of the best kind of
society.
That it had been a great success no
one who knows the woodland Lady
MCrYale-needs to be told. 1t had,
perhaps, been one of her greatest, for
III addition to two princes of the blood
royal, she had secured the great sensa-
lion of the day, the young million
airess, Lady Isabel Earlsley.
And this was no slight achievement,
for Lady Bell, as she was generally
called, was a wilful, uncertain young
parsonage, from whom it was very
hard to procure a promise, and who,
not seldom, was given to breaking it
when made, at least SO far as accep-
ton of invitations went.
But she was there tonight; as the
next issue of the Morning Post would
testify.
Jack had been really too careless and
scornful in his Indifference Lady Bell
vas not only beautiful she was-what
was more rare than beauty-Charmin
She was rather short than tall; but not
TOO short. She had a beautiful figure;
not a wasp waist by any means. but
naCurai figure full of power and grace.
Her skin was, well, colonial; delicate
~ tinted and creamy; and her eyes
1t Is difficult to catalogue her eyes, be-
cause their lights were always chang
ing--bnt the expression which general
ly predomnated was one of half
amused, halfmocliing light.
With both expressions she met the
open admiration of the gilded youths
who thronged round her amused at
their foppery hooking at their protes-
tationS of devotion.
Tonight she was dressed neither
magniticently nor superbly, but with
what seemed to the women who gazed
at her with barely concealed envy
artful simplicity.
Her dress was of Indian muslin,
priceless for all its simplicity; and she
wore glittering in her hair, on her
arms, and on her eream-white bosom,
pearls, that, in quantity and quality
would have made the fortune of any
entcrprising burglar
BY her side stOod-for they were
moving, toward the door, on their way
to an cXit-an elderly women, with an
tApl'NSloHlCNS lace, SIMPLY ana pIaln~
ly dressed She was generally spoken
of as the watch dog; but She scarcely
deserved that name, for Lady Bell
was quite capable of watching over
herself, and Mrs. Feliowes, the widow
of the Indian colonel, was too mild to
represent any sort OF dog whatever
Surrounded by crowd of devoted
courtiers, the great heiress and her
companion moved toward the door
where the hostess stood receiving the
farcwclls and thanks of her guests:
and when one thinks of the many hun
dred times Lady Meriyale had stood
by that door. and undergone that ter.
ribe ordeal. one is filed with amaze
ment and awe at her courage and ply
steal strength
For forty years she had been stand.
ing at doors receiving and meeting
guests; yet she stood tonight as smil-
ing ana courageous as ever
-