Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-10-20

Julie. Ou, luIS-d IdnS SOuhAoSA
touched the shabby gown and the big
shoes, and when the night is over they
change back as they were"
"And the girl?'
ooh. she will be whisked away too"
mot before unmasking time comes
anyway. There is the signal now" he
said as a chime of bells rang in the
distant hall, followed by the sound OF
laughter. ''Ah, you are caught, fairy
shepherdess! Now disappear If you
can" He dragged off his mask and
waited expectant, looking at the girl.
Cicely felt the blood rush to her face.
IL must CO." she said hurriedly and
rose. 81 didn't know it was so late
go. Why, you know you promised
me supper, and
II didn't think. I forgot for mo-
ment No, / must"
without unmasking"
II can't. Don't ask me why. There
are reasons. Oh. can't explain. Please
let me get away she cried, for the
man had stepped before the door. C1ce-
ly cast a hurried glance about. She
spied a door leading iHto the garden,
and before the cavalier could guess her
intention she had fled through it blind
ly into the night, he after her.
She did not know where she ran nor
care. Her only thought was to escape
discovery, to get away home before ex-
posture came. On she fed, across the
lawn, into the shadow of the shrubbery,
tripping over roots, held back by cling
ing vines, her mask brushed from her
face, her breath giving out and discov-
cry and shame at her heels. Then she
tried to find some hiding place and,
failing, sank down on a bench, with
bitter, despairing cry, and buried her
face in her hands.
''Why did you run? You might have
known you couldn't escape me-" said
her pursuer as he came up. Then as
he heard the girls sobs, care you
hurt?
eyes, yes" she sobbed, ''but not as
you think. Oh, why did l ever come?
How am l to tell you? What will
you think of HE? l ought not to be
here tonight. I am not a guest. 1
had no right to come
1t was a confession punctuated by
sobs and little gasps Of pain that the
cavalier listened to.
81 saw the lights" Cicely added,
"and then the waltz music came to
me, and ! couldn't resist it. I thought
60
and then l could go back and no one
would know, and l could have one
pleasant memory among dreary, drudg-
ing days. Tm-Tm not so very old,
and haven't had any pleasure or hap
piness in so long, and this was a
chance, and I took it,"
She rose and dried her eyes, "You
see, / told you the truth. I'm only a
shepherdess and had no place in court,
and now | must 60 back to the sheep
and the wolves again. It's been-I
can't tell you what this evening has
been-eXcept this last"
"Do you care so much, then, that I
know who you are?' The cavalier
was standing beside the shepherdess,
looking down at the bent head show
ing so softly in the dusky shadows.
II would have sought you out in any
case-if l had to search the world over.
Do you care now that know?"
mo" returned Cicely softly
And l may come tomorrow and see
the lambs-and the shepherdess"
Il don't think it would be best for
the lambs, butt usually come home
from the sheepfold by way of the red
bridge and
IF you saw wolf waiting by the
bridge, would you mind?
mot If it was nice wolf"
"And If the wolf were to carry you
off and the lambs have to have an
other shepherdess would you be very
much scared?' asked the cavalier.
"1-I don't think So" whispered the
little Dresden shepherdess. II think
I'd rather like it,"