Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-01-29
HER HOUR OF TRIUMPH.

HER HOUR OF TRIUMPH.
1t was the height of the winter season
in crowded Swiss hotel. Maj. Wother-
ston, fresh from India and years of for
eign service, had just arrived and was
being persuaded by pretty niece to at
tend the ice carnival that evening.
You simply must come. All you
have to do is to buy a mask; you needn't
even bother about fancy dress
"Oh, I'm too old"
TOO old! nonsense! Besides, every
body's going Why, even that hideous
Miss King with the harelip is sure to
! be there, and she's about the limit"
laughed the girl.
Thanks for chasing me with the
limit. but I'll go if only to keep you
quiet-and who's Miss King, anyway ?"
"Oh, an old trump who talks to no
body and looks melancholy"
"Ah, then it couldn't be the same"
remarked the major to himself.
The lady in question was sitting in
| her bedroom on the fourth floor with
mirror in her hand She was neither so
old nor so frumpish as she appeared to
highly critical IS, but the face she was
| looking at in the mirror was almost gro
tesque
Ten years ago she had been beautiful
and had carried all before her. Now
naught remained of that beauty but the
eyes. They were lovely still, dark blue
and expressive. Ten years ago, Hermit
one King had fallen face foremost from
a dogcart; her face had hit a .slprp
stone, and the curious scar from nose
to chin, which appeared to cleave both
upper and lower lip in two, made her
wellnight hideous
She had been on the point of being
engaged to a promising soldier when
Fate dealt her this crushing blow. She
determined he should never see her
again.
Had it not been for a frontier war
and hasty call to active service, she
might not have been able to carry out
her PLAN for the soldier was much in
love; but things were made easy. and
she was able to take herself out of his
life completely
And he's arrived here of all places"
she said TO herself Il might have known
| was bound to come across him one
day. He shall not see me, though He
loved me then, but who could love this 2"
and she struck the image of her face
in the glass with the back of her hand
And vet the eyes are always the
same. Who was the French woman who
said, Give me a good pair of eyes and
I'll do the rest?' l believe / could do
the rest, too"
She sat thinking minute.
Il will, | will, and it shall be tonight
at the ice carnival He shall see me
and-ycs-he shall love me again lust
for an hour I'll forget these grim years
throw them off and be young again
and 'rioy. I'll have Just one hour back
of my lost youth and beauty And aft
erward? Well what matter?"
"Ah it's good to live again" and she
| laughed to herself as she went about
her room, pulling drawers hastily out.
searching for the articles she required for
the fancy dress which was to conceal all
that was repulsive and only show what
could charm and delight
A cloudless sky illuminated with a
thousand stars, snow peaks towering on
all sides, made romantic setting for
! the brilliantly lighted rink, and the ex-
| hilaration had apparently entered into
| the souls of the jewellers. For once even
the English had thrown off their habitu-
al reserve.
The yelled Turkish lady was undoubt-
eddy the success of the evening "Who
is she?" everyone was asking; is she
French or English? She talks French
! like a Partisan, but she skates like an
| Englishwoman, and she calls herself the
| faVOrite wife of the Sultan of TIlrkey -
| Did you ever know girl with eyes
| Just like yours named Hermione King?"
said Major Wotherston, who had skated
| boldly up to the mysterious yelled lady,
All, monsieur" she replied laughing
and speaking in French, Il don't under
stand one word. In French, please"
| "Oh-er-esker, esker, but can't
speak French, Dash it ALL | know YOU
are English, and do speak to me in your
| natural voice"
All, monsieur, you are charming. and
SO handsome l know under that mask.
mais quet dommage que ie ne vous
eomprends pas"
She looked at him for one moment
and merriment and fun were uppermost
in the starlike dark blue ewes, and then
she swept them with long lashes.
He looked long st her.
1t is Hermione! There's only one
pair of eyes like that in all the world.
The games up, HeEmione speak to me
and tell mo where you've been all these
years and why you disappeared out Of
my life
"Why' because I chose; don't ask