The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-19
THE DANCE OF
l THE INVADERS
Being a Letter to Hsr Friend From
a Young Gil in = Town Capt
ured by Hungarian Soldiers.
hu MaurLes JokaL

bV A0hEbe beAIf'
My DEAR EIIHoR i am in bed, l am
sick 1 am desperate Never will l dance
another quadrille. will become nun
or | will get married or will dispose OF
myself some other way Listen while
tell you what has happened You never
heard Of such thing In your life
Doubtless you know that last week,
after the battle Of Branyiszko, the Hun
garian army passed through our city
They told US horrible stories Of these SOL
diers, how they burned houses and looted
churches and did all sorts Of dreadful
things. Mamma told me that would prob
ably have TO stay in the attic all the time
they were here Think Of IL!
Instead Of this. my dear, the army marched
into the city with bands playing and flags
waving, and everybody went out to see
them, quite forgetting how they had planned
to stay at home and guard all their valuables
Papa was at tho head Of a committee to
receive the officers, and the servants went
out 10 watch the procession.
Mother went on and hid somewhere
and couldn't find her. For days she had
spent nearly all her time hunting for safe
hiding places, and she scoldcd me terribly
the day l happened to open the door OF the
big clock and saw her squeezed behind the
pendulum,
Left alone, l decided that the wisest
thing for mo to do was to get something
ready for our enemies to eat 20 that they
would not have to begin on US. While |
was busy heard a knock at the door.
At first I was too frightened to speak
hadn't expected them to knock, anyway.
l supposed they would just come in and
take possession. When finally did muster
up courage to say Come in, instead OF
the horrible Tartars had been told about
two young officers entered, quite the incest
men ever saw, and one especially was
very handsome. You know how adore
men with curly brown hair!
First Of all, they asked my pardon for the
trouble they had caused, and then l saw
them smile at the stuff had prepared for
them to eat. l couldn't help blushing'
and when they saw how embarrassed ! was,
the curly headed officer thanked me and
said they wanted nothing but room where
they could 90 to sleep. They said they
hadn't slept in bed for two weeks. Poor
things, ] was sorry for them.
Ihastened to show them TO the blue guest
room and scarcely had / left them and
come back TO my own room than l heard
horrible cries,
Help, help! Murderl'
knew / had heard the voice before, but
in my excitement l could not think whose
il was.
Help
My door was suddenly opened and who
do you think appeared? No, you can never
guess 1t was mammal The trouble was
that she had chosen the blue guest room
to hide in, and between the mattresses as
the safest place. No wonder she was fright
ened half to death when the two men got
in the bed
had a terrible time getting her quiet
and making her understand that the men
had not come to steal and kill, but at last
/ succeeded in making her promise that
she would not hide herself any more, and
then / went TO explain TO the two very
much astonished officers that mamma
suffered from rheumatism and that she
had been taking a vapor bath between
their mattressesl Do you suppose they
believed me?
After that everything went quite smoothly
until evening. Then we learned that the
officers Of the division in the city had made
preparations for great ball TO which we
were all invited.
My curly haired lieutenant begged me
TO go and helped me tease mamma, who
had firmly made up her mind that l SHOULD
stay at home. She was obliged to give in
/ however. and at last she promised 70 take
me. l came near spelling the whole thing
| though. for her last excuse was that hel
| foot hurt her. To which l replied without
| thinking
'Oh, but mamma, do not believe thai
| you will have 20 dance all the time!'