The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-02-03
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@ THE DAILY STORY c
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The e,,lrrnn,ler of Nirulnia
"a. 81 he Sfirfrnpcr Qi NUutnla
n ~ Sfs.Sy IstAs &fss& x
w. tBy GlarlssA MA ghz u
ty,sJRiia Roswell ,ssll.y tssN's'1 H = Y y 4. Z
Gts laid upon ssxsfEfs w. " ~

.nfMtilFSt dpHIuNdl III iWt ihRTI' W ~,
'TrTre were Il quilted satin Betticoat Wh
white. panniered oyerdress oI Dlte 4
broca8e with lace trimmed hall sleeve I
a pair OF high, beeled red slippers
and small rcd faL II
Z wonder il tnat dreadful Howard +
man will be there, she mused, wllh
dancing eyes, as she brushed her
golden brown locks into lofty pile on
her stately little head II hope not,i
Tor | could not recognize him en- mas
cue and might dance with him. Thati
would be horrible!' Miss Roswell
shuddered at this awful possibility
When the civil war had drawn all
southerners together TO fight for
common canYe the Roswell-Howard
feud grew less fierce. Since the war
1 he depleted families had died out,
4 and now in the year Of our Lord 1872
Acse remained but one representative
\ ol each family to pcrpetuate The leud'
High spirited Virginia Roswell hug
Led the traditions OF her family with
4 loyal affection. Twice had she been
lntroauced TO the hated Howard ana
twice had she afterward cut him dead
ii the highway. She remembered the
look of mingled anger and adniras!pn
on his face when she had last met
him, and she remembered with y
4 sense Of discontinue the sweeping
courtesy Of his manner as he backed
MS horse into the brier hedge 10 per-
nit her to pass.
How Virginia hated the enemy OF
the house OF Roswell Cousin EN-
incline Vernet with whom Virginia
lived. was not a Roswell and bad not
hat bitterness toward the Howard fac
ion If Mrs. Vernet had been per.
niitted TO have her way young Howard
# would have met warm welcome
within her hospitable doors when he
returned from his long 5oiourn at .
ortheen university.
Ii was the % Of February, and i
was the occasion of the masked bal
lat the Oaks, where all the guests were
70 appear III colonial garb and fo
ahieh Virginia Roswell was now pre-
pairing. she powdered her hair ant
pinned a red rose in the snowy pie
She donned the white satin pettcoa
ild pale blue oyeriress She tied
black velvet ribbon about her Drett,
aroat, and The pearl pendant nestled
II the sweet hollow just below. Whc
she had drawn on pair OF lon
gloves she caught up her fan and too
lew steps of the stately minuet
There was tap at the door, an
, young mulattQ girl entered "Fo' d
Ian, Miss 'Ginia, didn't low YOU
2 4 ipt.' -
"Neycr mind, Hannah returne
7 Miss Roswell amiahly 4 got alon
:, very nicely liaced, Is Mrs. Verne
/, rcady?' N
!. Yes, ma'am. Mis- EpmeIine she bee
!, down in de DRAWN room TO de Ia
!, halt hour o4t t
y !, Bring MY carriage shoes, sthc
). Hannah, and my cloak
Five minutes later Mrs. Vernet, a
!, aged in a sumptuous gown of pu
= pie brochdc and yellow lace, hid h'
:, magnIficence beneath a long cloak al
! oined her niece in the wide hall.
= Am not gorgeous, Emmelne'
:, cried Virginia gayly, with a deep cou
;, tesy TO the elder woman.
:, "You are very lovely, my dea..' !
q y Piled Mrs. Vernet affectionateN.
q reckon you'll dance yourself to dea
- as usual before morning.
AT the Oaks the long drawn
b rooms were q mass OF Brilliant cole
=, the men arrayed in the bluff and bl
-, of the colonial army or in the gay bI
- eades OF the beaus OF the same p'
y lod. the women in every ravishing G.
A = Al amid pnuTIl\
=, one and all were masked, and as Y
q ginia Roswell entered the brilliant
:, dehted room in the wake of her cor
y, n her eager eyes sought for famlll
~ aces or forms.
M MAY have the pleasure?'
al speaker was dressed in the unlfo
os OF general in the Continental arm
~ His powdered wig was tied back W
" black ribbon, ana through the bla
40, mask that hid his features black el
:, flashed inquiringly. His skin W
~. bronzed from exposure, and the fl
mr., well muscled hand he extended v
ic, brown and capable.
dn. For once Virginia was yoicele
'es she extended her card, and the stra
= er deliberately filled in all the
n. cant spaces. Then he returned II "
re, q low bow and q murmured word
aid snanks aud disappeared.
noe How impertinent. muttered NJ
hal Roswell as she scanned the card
the disnantly,
ate She waltzed and rested and walt
The again several times before the stra
mar er came to claim her. The waltz
,ns the harp and violins were throbb
ties was an old. old one, a familiar Il
the ody thar the dancers caught up
hummed In tuneful unison as 4
danced. aud Virginia in the very
tasy of her happiness and glow
Youth forgot all about the impertie
Of the stranger and sang in low,
contraltu rs they glided around.
You are very happy, remai
HE man suddenly, with wisttul
red phasis TO his tone
ten The song stopped on Nirginia's
you WHY should not be- she asl
hos looking at him out of eyes Sudd'
try grave
loes There Is no reason that know
lost returned The stranger slowly. w
our one possesses youth. beauty, a c
/ an conscience presume YOU hay'
"a Il clear conscience, Miss Roswell n
hile. You know Who | amg@ cried
isn't eiuia eagerly. III is only fair th'
Aer sheuld know yOur name