Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-07-05
captain 5 Double
~ L1LLIAs CAMPBELL DAVIDSON

4 are some dances to my share, or am |
hoping too much?"
| ooh, yes, there are dances, If you
care to have them. am keeping them
especially for you" Winstanley IN
| derstood how much was meant by that
/ word keeping" and was grateful.
| Countess Ilka's dances were more
! sought for that winter than those of
any woman in Portsmouth.
She had come in late, with the slow
and leisurely grace that always mark
ed her movements, and she had been
received with rush Of claimants for
her waltzes almost before she was
well within the door. She did not need
to come almost before the hour of in
vitation, like the eager Southsea girl,
in order to fill her card. She could
have filled 1t thrice over and Winstan-
| ley knew 1t quite well. 1t made it all
| the more agreeable to feel that she
had kept dances for one, when they
were 80 difficult to keep.
| He looked kindly down at the sleek,
| black head, shining with jewels, and
| the exquisite gown that spoke Worth
to every woman present who had ever
| seen creation of that artist. Which
waltzes are you going to be good
| enough to give me?" he asked, hold
ing ready his card. The first dance
with Ursula was just beginning to
| sound its dreamy notes, and even to
| dance with Countess Ilka would not
lose one turn of that waltz.
She threw a quick glance over his
card as he held It, He could not see
that she saw the names written on its
white surface. but her eyes We're keen.
/ There were six spaces filled with two
| initials. Did Countess 1llsa know
whose they were? 1t could hardly have
been by accident that she said, with
out. hesitation. II can give you two and
seven and ten and nineteen-and an
extra or two as well, If you like
Winstanley flushed little. 1t was
odd that she had selected the very set
he had taken from Ursula. 'I'm SO
!, sorry; I'm engaged for all those" he
said. MAY tell you my disengaged
ones and hope that you can give me
those?"
There was certainly a shade OF con-
straint in her voice as she agreed.
Gould she fancy that he was lacking in
keenness over her card? He was self
reproachful, and aware that he was
quite the only man in the garrison at
that moment who would have shown
any want of enthusiasm. The fear
| that she thought him cool over her
Kindness made him put a trifie more
ardor than he felt into his next words
| They made out three dances for which
they were both disengaged, and then
| he bowed and smiled himself away.
The first dance with Ursula the
dance he and she mad both been look
ling forward to SO eagerly was almost
halfway through.
Ursula's face cleared when he came
| hurrying up to claim her She had
| been looking a little depressed as the
strains OF the Red Marine band went
| on and still he did not appear, She put
! her hand under his elbow with & little
| tender pressure as he whirled her into
4 the midst Of the crowd. {" had a let
| ter from daddy this morning" she
| said; he expects to land at Plymouth
three weeks from Friday. | am going
to meet him, and then he will come
back with me to the 'Shuttlewaites'
Don't you congratulate me?"
Il hope to- congratulate myself a
4 great deal more presently" he
breathed into her ear, Significantly
She laughed and colored, anr said,
Hush, hush" quite delieiously. They
forgot the rest OF the crowded bali
room tiry fur ;srs, xrd assembly,
| ana Miss Jones, and Miss Brown, and
Mr.. Smith. and the rest of them; they
We're alone In the garden where grows
the Eden rose
TITS not the end already. What
IDIOT ever wrote a waltz as short as
that? 1t was Winstanley who ex-
claimed 1t halfindig nantly as they.
came to standstill and the last notes
| died wailing away.
81 think It was about the same
length as usual, e Ursula tried to look
/ unconscious. II was half over when
we began It. Perhaps that made the
/ difference :
SO IL was. was kept. IT wasn't
my fault, / needn't tell you. 4 1t was
the last thing I wanted to happen. I
assure youl. .5sa
ut doesn't matter; only don't let it
| happen again, please, II you can man
jsage. just hate to lose the first OF a
really perfest waltz. Z
| hat max s your waltzes perfect
the music. or the partner, Or What x
Oh, the floor and the band, and q
score of things. Why do you want So
much to know ?''
Became II IT'S the partner and
this last one was perfect do tell me
that is what you meant. Z
She cast 8 little look ap at him, as
disdiferent from Countess Ilka's lash
yelled upward glances as the violet il
Inherent from The cactlss flower lit
could not be perfect when sopae was
loot sas III me would say.