Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1906-03-09
M A SKE D
I'D f. A r III

fore Mardl Gras.
"Our mobiles, GIlderstane," said the
prince to his prime minister, are fast
degenerating. While there is no evil
them, there is no good. Some wizatQ
has cast upon them the spell of frivoliT
ty. Their days are given to out of dooI'N
sports, their nights TO dancing and
| feasting."
II have pondered, your highness, on
their condition and have concluded that
they can only be brought to their senses
by some impressive lesson"
"Have you planT'
"I have. l would suggest that your
hlghness issue an order for a grand
masquerade to be given at the palace" ,
"Do you desire our attendanceT
"Oniy for brief space"
The prince sat in deep thought.
"Gilderstane," he said at last, you
have given us many proofs Of your wis
dom as well as Of your fidelity. 1t shall !,
be as you DESIRE,
A royal command was issued for a
masquerade that was to exceed In
splendor any fete that had been pre-
vIously given. Society at once dropped
pleasure in the present TO take firmer
hold on pleasure in the future. All were
busy hunting original costumes. The
principally was secured for the oldest.
the richest costumes, while artists were !
called upon to produce the most fantaef
| tic designs.
The evening arrived. The palace
blaze OF lights and, though II
winter, It's interior resembled gaf
Of the tropics. The arriving gues,
sprang from their carriages with eager
steps and hurried into the palace
Pleasure had been pcnt during the In
terval of preparation and was noy
ready to burst forth with new vigor /,
Brilliant lights fell on resplendent cos
tunes. Jewels received the rays, broke
| them and sent them back In dazzling
hues. The music had in II qulckenifg
thrill to set the blood coursing, the feet
flying There were girls with supple
| figures, women with queenly ones,
slender youths and men of stately mien,
all swaying, rocking in the dance. AS
the hours flew by the music grew mad
der, the dancing more abandoned.
FROM supper room came popping OF
corks. bursts of laughter, shouts of
merriment. The dancers. breaking
from prescribed forms, danced alone. 4
Ivory arms waved aloft. Beneath a
| fringe of silk and lace shapely feet In
kid futtered like the wings of swarm
of white butterflies.
The clock struck IL.
|, The music stopped.
The dancers, wondering. paused and
stood still.
Two lackeys threw open portal, and
the prince. attended by his suit en-
tered, moving silently and amid silereeS
| to the throne. When he was seated
four masked men came through side
door bearing bier covered with n
canopy of satin and velvet and, max
ing their way through the guests, who
4 opened before them, set It down In thee
center of the ballroom. Then. whilel
the revelers looked ON with repressedl
expectation. one of the bearers remov-
| ed a pail and uncovered figure mask
ed andsfn costume.
"what singular featurev'
Ellis highness has outdone himself
in originality"
"wbo could have consented to play
SO grewsome part-the part OF the
deadY .-~~,.. -. . =.
"Is he deadT 4
"Deadl He will arise presently and
/ give us a novel dance, something nevei
seen before. Come. let us form a rina
and spin about him to give him inspira
tion."
The speaker seized the hand of d
girl looking on, and, willy nilly, she wal
carried along. others joining till cir
Gle was formed extending to the very.
limits of the ballroom, all dancingl)
shouting. singing round and round.
Presently one Of the dancers brokd
from the ring and advanced to the bier
Come" he said. "arise and give NJ
the dance of death" And he tora
away the mask.
A thrill of horror shot through tn,
crowd. There, rigid. form Of clay.
face OF marble. cheeks hollow, eyes
sunken, chin dropped upon the breast
lay the earthly part OF one who few
days before had been the merriest ma
In the princlpality.
| Ahc hsScAhDiy StOou uo IL pclrluSN
If there were sounds, they were gasp
of horror: II there were movement,
was by some who had tainted. TIL
prince sat immovable. From the fot
of the throne the prime minister az
vanced few PAGES. then stopped ar
spoke:
Fool, this night thy soul shall
required Of thee"
There was a silence during which Il
speaker kept his finger pointed to Il
corpse and his eye fixed on the peopl
The prince sat silent on his thron
J rigid as figure Of stone. For fin
no one moved or seemed 10 move. b
presently the throng grew thlnnC
When all were gone the prince d
scended from bis throne and, hand
hand with his prime minister. left 4