The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-21
THE WAY
 OF A MAN
By EMERSON HOUGH
Copyright, 1907. by the Outing Publishing
 Company

to the army ought to know"
 "Why do you think l belong to the army" she asked.
 You belong to the army and to Vir ginia." I said. because you asked me what is my arm of the service. and because your voice could come from nowhere but Virginia. Now since have come so far to see you and have found you out so soon. why do you not confess that you are Miss EllenT
 We have no names tonight" she answered. ''But there is no Jack c. in the Gazette who comes from Vir- ginia and who wears a captains straps. do not know who you are"
 "At least the game then is fair" said 1. disappointed. But I promise you that some time l shall see you face to face and without masks. TomOr- row.
 Tut. tutF' she reproved. "There is no tomorrOwr'
 looked down on her as stood. and a certain madness of youth seized hold upon nae. I knew that when she rose she would be just tall enough. that she would be round. full. perfect wom- an in every line of her figure: that her hair would be some sort of dark brown in the daylight: that her eyes would also be of some sort of darkness, 1 knew not what. for l could not see them fully through the domino. could see the hair piled back from the nape of as lovely a neck as ever caught a kiss. l could see at the edge of the mask that her ear was small and close to the head: could see that her nose must be straight and that 1t sprang from the brow strongly. with no weak 1ndentation. The sweep of a strong. clean chin was not to be disguised. and at the edge of the mask I caught now and then the gleam of white. even teeth and the mocking smile of red. strongly curved lips hid by her fan at the very moment when I was about to fix them in my memory so that 1 might see them again and know. l suspect she hid a smile. but her eyes looked up at me grandly and darkly. Nineteen. perhaps twenty. l considered her age to be: gentle and yet strong. with character and yet with tender ness, made estimate that she must be. There was something that as- sured me that here was a woman not lightly to accept nor lightly to be for gotten.
 My hostess said it would be a lot tery tonight in this Row of Mystery" went on. but do not find it SOL
 "Ail life is lottery" she said in an swer.
 And lotteries are lawful when one wins the capital prize. One stretches out his hand in the dark. But some one must win. I win now. The game Of masks is fine one. I am vastly pleased with it. Some day l shall see you without any mask. Come. We must dance. l could talk better if we were more alone"
 We stepped out upon the crowded floor. l was swept sway by it all. by tee waltz, by the Etirs above. by the moon. by the breath of women and the scent of their hair. by the perfume of roses, by the passion of living, by youth, youth.
 She danced as she stood. with the grace of perfect young creature and the ease of perfect culture as well. If this was not Ellen then there was no Ellen there for me! went on with such foolish words as men employ.
 ''Ah. nonsenser' she flashed back elf men but knew how utterly trans parent they are: l say that tonight we girls are but spirits. to be forgotten to- morrow. Do not teach us to forget be- fore tomorrow comes.'' ''I shall not forget insisted 'Then so much the worse" 'T cannot"
 "But you must"
 "l will not l shall not allow"- "How obstinate a brute a man can 1 be! she remonstrated. I a i I. But that cannot have been, for l see you have no heart" No" she laughed. 'It was only a dream"
 "I had forgotten it tonight and in- deed forgotten that Quakers do not i dance. I said ought not to come here l tonight. but now see fate said must. l would not have lived all ny life oth- erwise. Tonight l hardly know who l am"
 Officer and gentleman" she smiled. | "I was not an officer. 1 was masking,
 mumming-I. John COwles. who had no 1 right" Once more. whither was my 1 folly carrying me?
 'T shall call you the sorrowfuI knight" chided my fair companion. 1 Then:
 l 'I must go. There are very many 1 to whom l am promised" At the edge of the better lighted cir ] cle she paused for a moment. standing straight and drawing a full. deel 1 breath. If that were coquetry it wa | perfect. l swear that now l caugh i he full outline of a red, red hear l fpon her cOrsage.
 l ''MademoiseIle.' said as left he { you are Ellen. and you have a hear some day i shall take away yol mask and your heart" 1 saw her once more. dancing wit i a tall. slender man in uniform. 4 | least he offered no disguise to me. | my heart 1 resented seeing him wea | the blue of our government. And cer | tainly it gave me some pang to whici | l was not entitled, which 1 did no | stop to analyZe. some feeling Ot