Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-12-01
CHAPTER /.

ways held on the first Friday in Deem
Der, and was regarded as a sort of in
auguration of the winter festivities. No
one in unniford-except such as were
strangers in the land and unacquainted
with the customs of the inhabitants
ever dreamed of giving dance before the
hospital ball was over, for there all the
new dresses which were to do duty dur
ing the coming season made their first
appearance, and sad indeed was the heart
of the fair maiden who was unable to
appear in a new toilette on that impor-
tant occasion.
For the past three years Salome Fen
wick, the doctors daughter, had been the
acknowledged belle of the ball. She was
a tall, slim girl, with bright, reddish
brown hair, the pure pink and white COM
plexion which so often accompanies it,
and eyes which, when shaded by their
dark lashes, looked darker shade than
her hair, but which, when she smiled-and
Sadie's smiles were happily of very fire.
quent occurrence-or when the sunlight
fell upon them, were wont to shine with
o beautiful amber radiance which had an
almost bewildering effect on the minds of
the spectator, especially if that spec
tator happened to belong to the weaker,
or masculine, sex. Julia Morden, the doc
tors daughter, would sometimes de-
clare, when she was in spiteful mood,
that Sadie's eyes were exactly like those
of big Persian cat, but the comparison
never annoyed Sadie. She would only
laugh and hug the cat, which was her
own property and particular pet, and de-
clare gaily that she was quite content;
1t was a distinction to have eyes unlike
other peoples. She would not exchange
her amber orbs, however "cat-l like" they
might be, for ordinary blue or brown
"The advantage of having eyes of an
one day, "is that people"-by people"
Sadie meant ''men"-"are struck by the
unusual color and occasionally, when
they have looked more closely at you,
awake to the consciousness that you are
not quite such a commonplace little
dowdy as they imagined at first sight;
that on the whole you are rather good
looking than otherwise. Oh, you may
scott as much as you like" she added de-
murely, as Julia laughed contemptuous-
ly, "but I can assure you have known
more than one such instance"
well, whatever else you may fail to
possess, there's one thing that no one
can say you lack, Sadie" Julia retorted.
"And that is? 2" asked Sadie as Julia
paused.
'Why, vanity, of course! You are as
vain as peacock" said her step-sister
CURLY.
Sadie looked meditative.
II have often thought that the peacock
is a much maligned bird" she said grave
~. Il dare say that when he spreads out
his tail and struts up and down the lawn
and let's the sunshine bring out all the
lovely eolors of his plumage, it isn't alto
gether out of vanity, as is generally sup
posed, but because of the pleasure it
gives to his mate and the admiring pub
lie. Now, am like that. know am
pretty, and I like people to admire me,
but / don't take any credit to myself for
having pinker cheeks and brighter eyes
than some girls. Nature has been very
generous to me, and should be very un-
grateful if / didn't try to make the most
of the advantages she has given me, and
to look as nice and as pretty as l cam"
she added calmly. Then, needless of
Julia's scornful look, she walked to the
mirror and gazed scrutinizingly and with
out trace of gratiied vanity at the fair
reflection that. stared back at her from
the glass with little smile on its lips.
Never mind, Ju," she said consolingly,
mine is the sort of beauty that doesn't
last long. dare say in. twenty years or
so, if am still in the land If the living,
there won't be a trace if il left, and the
girls who are babies now will be sur
IN 4lo4
pretty. Let me gather my roses while
may, my dear; the frost will come, soon
enough, and wither them up" Sadie
added, as she looked again at the fair
face, with its brilliant coloring and lu-
minous eyes, that seemed to offer fat
denial of the words. She smiled again.
"Ah well, it's summer still, thank heaven,
the frost hasn't come yeti" And she
went singing gaily out of the room, with
the cat in her arms.
For three years, then, Sadie had been
the acknowledged belle, not only of the
hospital ball, but of all the dances. No
matter how late she might be in arriving,
the men reserved their dances, and dis
played an aggravating reluctance to be
introduced to expectant partners until
Sadie's card was filled Except for a few
dances which she reserved for one or two
1avorite partners she was strictly i'm
partial in the distribution of her favors;
first come was first served with her. She
never threw any one over, never cut a
dance short because her partners step
Odd not happen to be in complete har-
mony with her own, never allowed herself
to be detained in some secluded spot
while her lawful proprietor for the time
being looked in vain for her, and was
always pleasant and bright. So she was
very popular, as well as very much ad-
mired; and when the news that for once
the hospital ball was to be ungraced by
her presence was whispered about as a
possibility, and then boldly proclaimed
as certain calamity, the CONSERVATION
among the "gilded youth" of Sunniford
was quite disproportionate to the occa-
SION, not only in the opinion of Julia and
Letltia Morden, the doctors step-daugh
ters. but in that of n n.rnat many nther