The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-03-04
strutted vaIiahr1y as a growing cock
in his own harvard

strutted yaIiahrfy as a Growing cock
in his own barnyard.
Come, Piacide, we are going to a
bail; we can do nothing ir our quest
tonight
ITO a what?'
"a ball. l thought it might be well
to W. you look in upon Madame
Ms and recite your lessons. It is
to be a famous gathering and we'll
worth your seeing"
| was in a Whirl, a stupor, by this
time, and obeyed implicitly; beside, it
required such an infinite skill to keep
my sword from swinging between my
legs and throwing me down, I had no
time to consider Of minor matters. He
led the way and I followed meekly as a
lap-dog.
At the great entrance gate we be-
came entangled in a medley of soldiers,
coachmen, torch-bearers and servant
coming and going-such a babel of
strange oaths-I wished I were safe
again in the quiet Of Biloxi. 1 pleaded
with Jerome to turn again, but he was
inexorable.
Il expect to find out something
tonight" he explained.
OF this ball 1 remember nothing but
that the slippery floor, in which a man
could see his own face, kept me in
deadly fear lest my sword trip me.
Jerome was gay and laxative, pointing
out many people of whom I heard, but
they did not look SO great after all.
For sake of heaven, man, wear not
so long a face; 1t is not the funeral of
thy mistress l have brought thee to-"
l marveled that SO many old ladies
should carry such young faces, or per-
chance their hair had turned gray ear
ller than was it's in the colonies.
And, too, they seemed sadly disfigured
with bOils, for on the chin or cheek
of nearly every one there showed a
patch of black sticking plaster. Poor
things! l sorrowed for them, it was
SO humiliating. Verify, I pitied them
all, and speculated OF the wonderful
compensations of Providence. With all
their wealth and rank, their lordly
castles n their jewels, these noble
anne could not purchase that which
the humblest serving-maid in Quebec
had, and to spare-a clear skin and
sunny locks.
l touched upon these matters to
jerome, but he only laughed immoder-
ately. He was ever q l~ight-headed
young spark who rave no contempla-
ton to deeper questions than present
enjoyment.
OF a sudden my wits almost left me
at a terrible cutlery from one end Of
the great hall, a cry not OF human be-
ingS but of wild beasts, munled and
menacing. The dancing, the music, the
hum OF voices ceased, and a thick 81
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
for aught I know might have been a
usual happening at a ball, I had never
been to one before.
l looked for Jerome. He was gone
Cnnnfi n q 1r-n>, - -, -
passing fair, with whom he had been
speaking but a few moments since.
fam 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 | foundm myself pinned tight
II fast against q window.
What the danger was l could not
see, but 1t must have been dolorous
from the headlong terror of their flight.
Soon by the thinning of the crowd
through the doors I saw a cause. 1t
wa a motley and a moving spectacle,
For by some m~ischance a 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
"a,
their path.
Verify such an onset would do brave
work against an enemies ranks, for
could our knights but make a 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. UGH a slipping and a
sliding across Il floor slickened with
much wax and polishing, was never
in a ballroom before, nor ever was
again. One old al 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, I caught sight
of a 1lorid, rotund lady, speechless in
her horror and her misery.
THE duchess does not enjoy her
quaint surprise laughed a light voice
behind me, II a slim finger directed
my gaze toward the lady whom l had
just noted.
1 observed then at my back, stand
ing upon a chair Where she could see
the better, a young woman of distin-
guished appearance, rather more plain
ly attired than the balance. She APP
peared greatly to enjoy the confu-
sion.
(COntinue6 Newt JVeal-