River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-04-03

row Of teeth Suddenly two white
figures drew aside the heavy curtains
in the archway and the dancers
marched into the somber room.
The men were dressed as shrouded
skeletons and the women as worms
The men wore light fimsy gray robes
on which skillful artists had painted
on four sides in deep colors the pic
lures of human skeletons.
The women wore curious light robes
of cotton fiber which were drawn over
the entire body and gave to each figure
the appearance of a huge caterpillar.
The strange figures began to move
slowly across the polished floor to the
strains of a ghostlike waltz.
From the corners of the high balco-
MES strange lights flashed. developing
in hideous outlines and phosphor-
escent colors of the skeletons and long,
fuzzy, exaggerated lines of the ac-
companying worms. The effect was
thrilling
Suddenly the music stopped with
crash Each ghostly couple skeleton
and worm. stood motionless. The
silvery note of a trumpet called from
the sky. The blinking eyes of the
death heads in the ceiling and on the
walls faded slowly The trumpet
pealed a second signal-the darkness
fed and the great room suddenly
blazed with 10000 electric lights The
orchestra struck the first notes of
thrilling waltz. and. presto. In an in
slant the women appeared in all the
splendor of the most gorgeous gowns,
their bare arms and necks flashing
with priceless jewels, and each man
bowed before her in immaculate even
ing clothes.
From the four corners of the vast room
were released thousands of gorgeous
Iy tinted butterflies. imported from
the tropics for the occasion. AS the
dancers glided through the dazzling
scene these wonderfully colored crea-
lures futtered about them in myriads,
darling and circling in every direction
among the flowers and lights until the
room seemed a veritable fairyland.
A burst of applause swept the crowd
as Mans radiant figure passed. encir-
cled by the arm of the leader.
Stuart nodded and clapped his hands
with enthusiasm.
A more marvellous transformation
scene could scarcely be imagined.
When Nan had passed he turned to
speak to Harriet, but she had gone.
A soft hand was suddenly laid on his
arm, and he turned to confront Nan,
her eyes flashing with triumph, her
cheeks flushed and her lips parted in a
tender smile.
Come, I'm going to honor you by
sitting out the next two Dances"
When she had seated herself by his
side under a bower Of roses he was
very still for a moment. She looked
up with a quizzical expression and
said:
"A penny for your thoughts. Am !
so very wicked after allY
81 don't think | have ever seen any
thing more dazzlingly beautiful than
your banquet and ball, except the wo-
man who conceived and executed it. /
was just wondering whether your
imagination was vivid enough to have
dreamed half the splendors of such a
life when you turned from the little
cottage l built for you"
A look of pain clouded the fair face,
and she lifted her jeweled hand.
please. Jim. I'd like to forget some
things"
And you haven't forgotten?"
She looked straight into his eyes and
answered in even tones:
"No."
Both were silent for a long while.
and then they began to talk in low
tones of the life they had lived as boy
and girl in the old south and forgot
the fight Of time.
Continued next week.