Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-30

chaperones, ladies of honor to the
queen to come.
Promptly as the clock in the hall
chimed ten the music merged into
march. Doors on opposite sides of
the upper hall swung wide and down
the broad staircase came. with slow
step. stately procession: two
heralds in fawn-colored doublets with
scroll and trumpets wound with
flowers. behind them the Queen OF
Beauty. her finger-tips resting hght-
" in the hand of the Knight of the
Crimson Rose. and these followed by
as brave a eoncourse of lords and
ladies as ever graced castle-hall In
the gallant days when knighthood
was in flower"
Shirley's gown was of pure white:
her arms were swathed in tulle,
crossed with straps of seed-pearl,
over which hung long semi-fiowing
sleeves of satin. and from her
shoulders rose a stiff pointed me-
dieval collar of Venetian lace.
against whose pale .traceries her
bronze hair glowed with rosy lights.
The edge of the sauare-cut corsage
was powdered with the pearls and
against their sheen her breast and
neck had the soft creamy ivory of
magnolia buds. Her straight plain
train of satin. knotted with fresh
white rose-buds Nancy Chalmers
had labored for a frantic half-hour
in the dressing room for this effect
was held by the seven-year-old Byloe
twins. in beribboned knickerbockers,
duly impressed with the grandeur of
their privilege and grimly intent on
acquitting themselves with glory.
Shirleys face was still touched with
the surprise that had swept it as
Valiant had stepped to her side. She
had looked to see him in the con-
ventional~s panoply sober-sided
masculine mode DEGREES. What she
had beheld was a figure that might
have stepped out of an Elizabethan
picture frame. He was in deep
purple slashed with gold. A CLOAK
of thin crimson veivet narrowly
edged with ermine hung from his
shoulders, lined with tissue-like
cloth-of- gold. From the rolling brim
of his hat swept a curling plume.
He wore a slender dress-sword. and
an order set with briiliants sparkied
on his breast.
The costume had been one he had
worn at a fancy ball of the winter
before. 1t had been made from n
painting at Windsor of one of the
Dukes of Buckingham, and it made
perfect foil for Shirleys white.
L ne ELEVEN knlSnlS VI Tie loul AACJ,
each with his chosen lady. If less
splendid. were tricked out in suffi-
GENTLY gorgeous attire. The Knight
OF Castlewood was in olive velveteen
siashed with yellow, with Nancy
Chalmers. in lowered panniers and
beaded pompadour, on his arm. The
Lord of Brandon wore black ana
silver and Westorer's companion was
in forest green. Many an ancient
broeade had been awakened for the
nonce from it's lavender bed. and
ruffs and gold braid were at no pre-
MUM.
To the twanging of the deft black
fingers. they passed in gorgeous array
between files of low-cut gowns and
flower-like faces and masculine Swai-
lowtails, to the yellow parlor. Once
there the music ceased with splen-
did crash, the eleven knights each
dropped upon one knee, the eleven
ladies-in- waiting curtsied low, and
Shirley, seated upon the dais, leaned
her FURNISHED head to receive the
crown. What though the bauble was
but bristol board, its jeweled chasing
but tinsel and paste? On her head 1t
glowed and trembled, true diadem.
As Valiant set the glittering thing on
those rich and wonderful coils the
music of her presence was singing
swift melody in his blood.
His coronation address held no such
f1owery periods as would have rolled
from the majors soul. He had chosen
a single paragraph he had lighted on
in an old book in the library-a his
tory of the last Crusade in French
black-letter. He had translated and
memorized the archaic phrasing,
keeping the quaint feeling of the
original:
"These noble knights bow in your
presence, fair lady, as their leige,
whom they know as even in judg-
ment, as dainty in fulfilling these our
acts of arms, and do recommend their
all unto YOUR good grace in as lowly
wise as they can. o Queen, in whom
the whole story of virtue is written
with the language of beauty, your
eyes. which have been only wont to
discern the bowed knees of kneeling
hearts and inwardly turned, found
always the heavenly solace of a sweet
mind, see them, ready in heart and
able with hands not only to assailing,
but to prevailing"
A hushed rustic of applause-not
loud the merest whisper of silken
feet and feathered fans tapped softly
testified to a widespread approba-
ton. 1t was the first sight many
there had had of John Valiant, and in
both looks and manner he fitted their
best ideals. True, his accent had not
that subtle gloze, that consonant soft
ness and intonation that mark the
Southron, but he was a Southron for
all that, and one of themselves.
The queens courtesy was the signal
for the music, which throbbed sud-
denly into a march, and she stepped
down beside him. Couple after couple,
knights and ladies, ranged behind
them, till the twenty-four stood ready
for the royal quadrille. 1t was the
old-fashioned lancers, but the de-
liberate strain lent the familiar meas
ures something of the stately effect of
the minuet. The rhythmic waves
alternately bore Shirley to his arms
and whisked her away, for fleeting
hand-touch of this or that demure or
| laghing maid, giving him glimpses of
the seated rows by the walls, of
| flower vistas,. of open windows be-
yond which peered shining black
faces delightedlv watching.
Quadrilles were not invented as aids