The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-03-30
HER FIRST BALL.
by G. ". MAITLAND.

"Norah, my dear"
" The girl turned around, as hand
was laid on her shoulder, and her
mothers voice was saying:
81 will leave you to welcome to
your first ball our latest guests. Mr..
Hamilton, Mr.. Brown, my daughter,
Miss Norah Grahame."
Norah looked up, with sudden
start, at the two gentlemen before
her, the faint rose-flush burning to
crimson in her cheeks and temples;
then she dropped her gaze, with IA
flash in the violet eyes, and the faint
est scornful curve of the red lip.
And this is what she saw, before
the long black lashes dropped, and
she had bowed her acknowledgment
of the introduction:
Two conference.-the foremost
why had not her mother given him
! the name of Brown?-for, omitting
the part his dress-tailor had in his
make, he certainly was the quintes-
sence of whity-brownishness, from
! the topmost wave of carefully adjust
ed hair on the head-which was on a
level with Norahs own-to the point
of the mild little moustache. Brown,
by all that is fair; but, then, mamma
said "Mr. Hamilton" And Norah's s
lip took that naughty curve again;
for the name of Hamilton was not
unknown to her as the great parti
of the season; and she had, too, the
mot very pleasant conviction of being
brought out this evening, on exhibi-
tion as "the Grahame beauty" in
mammals hope of pleasing the con-
noisseur taste of Mr.. Hamilton, or
"Mr. Half-a-million-of-money," as
Norah was saying to herself.
Hell not buy many words from
lme, the popinjay!" she was adding,
ivoicelessly, with more decision than
elegance, as, after commonplace
phrase or so, she turned to her other
guest still standing silent somewhat
in the rear.
II wonder whether anything but
ones first ball looks so much like a
Kaleidoscope" she said, gayly. MY
head is quite dizzy with looking at the
whirl of bright dresses and faces"
"Would it be any dizier," Mr..
Brown answered, with a smile, IF
you were to Join in the dance, in
stead of watching it from here?
Listen-that is the most waltzable of
waltzes. May l not have the pleas
ure?"
The violet eyes frightened eagerly
then fell again.
But mamma told me l was not to
dance the round Dances"
He smiled.
Il wonder what first ball is for,
II it is not to disobey ones mamma
for once? One can be very ohedient
afterward, you know; for first ball
never comes again."
Half frightened, half persuaded,
Norah looked up at him. Now, if it
were only Mr.. Hamilton at whose
bidding she was about to be disobe-
dent, she knew the fault might be
easily forgiven; but to break through
her stepmamma's rule in favor of a
Mr.. Brown, even though that Mr..
Brown had good six feet and cordial,
merry brown eyes and
Miss Grahame."
Hamilton's thin voice was at her
elbow; Hamilton's faultless kid glove
was presenting her with the handker-
chief she had let fall.
She took 1t with bow; then hur-
riedly put her hand in the arm Mr..
Brown was offering her. Anthing to
get out of the way of that Hamilton's s
appraising gaze. Anything to escape
from the feeling of being up for sale
price, half million of money.
II wonder what first ball is for,
II 1t is not to disobey ones mamma
for once?"
The words came into Norah's mind
more than once throughout the even
ing, with little rush of terror for
the reckoning to come. But certainly
this first ball would never come
again; and certainly it was charming
beyond all school girl dreams of balls.
And Norah waltzed with Mr.. Brown,
and galloped with Mr.. Brown, and
redowaed with M. Brown; and alto
gether might have been in brown
study, for all the attention she yield
ed to her other guests.
After supper the heated. crowded
dancing rooms were not quite SO
pleasant as the little balcony, which
hung out from the end one over the
May-blossoming flower garden and
under the misty May stars. At least