The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1912-06-20
The Ball at
Sea
By Anna Woodward

blue. shining in the afternoon sun like
sheet of polished steel
Every now and then fifty or hun.
dred flying FISH would spring from
the water skim for some distance and
| drop into the sea like a shower of sill.
Ner.
He kept leaning over the rail. quot.
ing Klping to himself and watching
the play of these fairy fish, when she
| deck chair and said: Il waited for
you for nearly half an hour"
He turned with the intention of sit
! ting for d moment on the foot of her
.haiT. a privilege to which he had
come to assume some right, but she
did not move her feet to make room
Tor him.
Il am sorry" he said, standing be.
fore her. Our challenge was to play
guoits at half past four was on
the UPPER deck precisely at the time
appointed. looked everywhere for
you. waited five minutes--even
more. | thought you had forgotten"
The wind had blown my hair
had gone below for Il minute You
might have waited. What became of
yon, anyway" she asked frownins a
little
81 have been in the music room,"
he said They wanted me TO accom-.
pany a song"
They? You mean Miss Roberts
Everything is explaned-and forgiv.
en-" she added lightly.
JEALOUSY" he said, smiling
Yes, dying with jealousy" she said
and laughed merrily.
He was Disconnected If he could
have taken her by her shoulders and
shaken her he would have done so
with pleasure at that moment.
"jeaousy-it is, OF course. an un.
pardonable emotion" he ventured.
But the prince, who was sitting next
to her, had bent over to make some
trivial observation, to which she had
begun to reply with animation
He strolled down the deck toward
the smoking room. quite light hearted
now over his determination. Almos,
since they had left the docks at Til
bury, since Gibraltar, at all events, i,
had been plain sailing between them
1t was even possible he had been toe
devoted, he thought. He had beer
testing his power over her a little il
the matter Of this game of quoits To
night he would find out
He was wanted to make up party
OF four to play bridge. In two minutes
!; he was happily absorbed in the smoke
room. On the deck outside she, equal
ly happy. was talking to the prince
1t was the night of the fancy dress
ball and in his cabin the steward hat
laid out the costume he had brought
for him, and to which she had pu
some finishing touches. 1t was the
costume of an Arab chief which he
had bought at Port Said, and though
of all men the least vain, he Nigh,
be excused for thinking that the sky
blue cloak and vest embroidered wiz
gold, the flowing white hair and scar
let slippers were not unbecoming
The bugle sounded for dinner and
he found himself descending to the
saloon with motley crowd of fellow
passengers-a brilliant and gay assem-
blage. making a scene all the more
Impressive because this night those
who wore fancy dress were seated to
gether at the long tables down the
center of the room.
-hor n, ,,oc J,;o .I:1
pear till rather late. and it was sud
den burst of applause which made him
look up not to recognize her for mo
ment as an Egyptian water carrier
bearing on her head an earthenware
vessel.
THE Egyptian will win the frs,
prize" people were saying.
Certainly she looked beautiful and
he was pleased at the tributes to he,
grace and charms. He had expected
that she would take the vacant chai,
opposite to his own and it had cross
ed his mind that after all he would
as on the night of other dances, claim
: all, or nearly all, the waltzes; the
J Arab chief must dance with the water
, carrier of the Nile. But she found g
place at the farther end of the table
seat next to the prince.
After all, then, he would not dance:
he would not even crafty her vanity
, by praising her costume, when, with
her sister, she. as they always did
took their coffee with him in the
lounge.
! He went up early to secure the ia
vorite sofa, ordered hi, cigar, his cot
fee and brandy, and waited.
, But Iris and her sister did not an
pear until just as the procession of the
masqueraders was being formed; be
fore the dance they were to parade
twice around the deck so that theil
fellow passengers might inspect the
costumes and vote, and in the process
J sion he found himself far removed
from Iris.
, It was beautiful on deck. The al,
was warm and delicious; the tropical
moon was rising in full splendor be
hind a bank of clouds. The fore
part Of the deck was hung with flags
and hundred Chinese lanterns light
ed the broad space stretched from side
, to side which formed the ballroom Of
the liner.
The competitors were divided into
two classes, those who had made their
costumes aboard and those who, like
himself and like Iris. wore clothes t4ey
had bought on the voyage, in Italy OF
in Egypt; and there were some who
: like the prince, were accustomed tc