Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-04

the summer colony at Berkeley she paid little heed till he mentioned the flower cotillon, and then she was like child in her eagerness.
 Would you like to go?' asked Fan shaw without waiting to consider the wisdom of the impulse.
 Esmeralda was radiant, though Mrs. Farley was dubious concerning clothes. Yet when Fanshaw rode over next morning 1t appeared that the question had been joyfully settled, and Esmer- aida called to him from the upstairs window that if he would only wait she and Mrs. Farley would be down. Aft CT short pause they came, Mrs. Far ley first in a brown silk dress whose sleeves and panniers had graced fash ions that held sway some ten years ago. while Esmeralda's pale blue cash mere belonged to an. even earlier period.
 They were so innocently pleased with what Mrs. Farley termed their fix ings' that Hollister Fanshaw had not the heart to protest. He tactfully sug gested that the road to the hotel was long and dusty and would work havoc with such finery and that the simple sprigged muslins that Esmeralda wore every day would do equally well, whereat Mrs. Farley merely smiled and produced two long black bomba- zine cloaks antedating even the brown silk and blue cashmere. These, she said, would cover them from head to foot so closely that not speck of dust could penetrate
 For a moment Fanshaw weakened. He had a fieeting vision of these two absurdly old fashioned figures among the ultra smart crowd at the Hillbrook. Then his eyes met Esmeralda's, so a-sparkle with anticipation, and he in- wardly called himself coward and a snob. Whatever the outward symbol of dress might be, there was not girl at Hillbrook who could compare with this princess of curds and cream.
 The night of the dance was clear and cool. A breeze swept across up land and meadow. Even the loqua- cious Mrs Farley seemed to feel the summer silence and on the way from the farm to Hillbrook spoke hardly a word. Esmeralda, too, was quiet. From the folds of her all enshrouding black bombazine cloak her neck rose white and slender. Her cheeks were faintly flushed. her eyes like stars. Never, thought Fanshaw, had she look ed more beautiful:
 Some people on the broad hotel veranda paused curiously to watch the arrival of Hollister Fanshaw and bis guests.
 The moment that passed while Mrs. Farley and Esmeralda removed their wraps was miserable one for him. The world was full of snobs. Suppose his dairy divinity should be sighted, patronized.
 "Jove," cried a man at Fanshaw's el- bow, T thought that Miss Van Rem syn was at Newport"
 Fanshaw stared. There, coming to- ward him, was a princess of curds and cream-the cream of white, glistening satin, the curds of billowing lace.
 Oh he groaned beneath his breath, what an unmitigated fool I've been more stupid than the dullest dullardw
 Yes" said Miss Van Remsyn, nod ding, "dull enough to prefer the socie- ty of poor little country girl-dull enough to be chivalrous, to ignore her inexperience, her ridiculous attempts at dressw
 Dull enough to be madly in love with her!' cried Fanshaw in half sav- age hopelessness.
 T shouldn't call that dull" murmur- ed Miss Van Remsyn, with a humor- ous upward glance.
 DO you mean that thered be a ghost of a chance for mel" stammered Fanshaw, suddenly joyful.
 "Oh, Hollister, are you quite, quite blindT' said Esmeralda the second.