Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1913-09-18

ed for nothing at all, in fact. He was
the most famous architect In Ameri-
ca and was the man who had designed
the new frieze for the state capitol
He was always very kind to Elizabeth,
and because he was the only person
who ever noticed her she longed for
a sight Of him. And one day something
very surprising happened.
Lester was calling at the Lanham
home, and Beatrice, having heard the
news from her maid, was hurrying In
to her reception gown. Cinderella
WAS all alone. She was just going up
stairs-for Mrs. Lanham did not like
her to receive her guests-when she
met Lester at the door.
"Why don't ever see anything Of
you, Miss Benton?" he asked. detain-
ing her.
Elizabeth did not know what to say.
80 she said nothing.
"You dear little Cinderella" said
Lester Martin, and bent down and
kissed her.
How she got out of the room Eliza
beth did not know, but she was IN
her room at last, and sobbing as
though her heart would break. She
cried wildly for hours. until Beatrice
came in and found her there
Beatrice was too much excited to no
tice Elizabeth's red eyes. She began
chattering about Lester.
Mamma thinks that he Is In love
with me-" she said. "She says he
wouldn't come here 30 much II he
wasn't. And 1t will be such a fine
match for me, for his father Is worth
a cool ten millions, and shall have
carriages and autos and go to Paris
each year and"
do you love him. Beatrice?" in
quired Elizabeth.
II don't know. guess I could"
said Beatrice, whirling about. NAM
ma says you needn't come down to-
night because we are having guests" !"
She came back presently. do you
know old Roger Lester Is giving a
fancy dress ball next month";" she
asked. "Yes, the invitations have
just come. And, oh, forgot to say
that there Is one for you. Mamma has
written accepting for me and declin-
ing for you"
When she was gone the girl gave
way to an access Of unrestrained grief.
For the first time rebellious thoughts
came into her mind. Lester loved her.
Else why had he kissed her? No man
ever kissed her before. To kiss meant,
in her simple view, to plight ones
troth for ever. Or had he been play
ing with her? 1t was obvious that he
ins&nt to marry Beatrice, but then he
must have had passing affection for
her. Suddenly an amazing plan took
root within her. She would 60 to the
ball. She had never been to a ball.
but why should she not 60 once? 1t
was to be fancy dress and nobody
would recognize her, masked and dis
guised. There was Beatrice's dress,
but that had been altered and Beatrice
had had 80 many dresses that she
would never remember that one. And
there were Beatrice's slippers.
She trod on air during the next four
weeks. She went so happily about her
duties that more than once she caught
sight of Mrs. Lanham surveying her
with amazed disapproval At last the
night Of the ball arrived.
You need not sit up for u.s." said
Mrs. Lanham condescendingly. I'VE
shall probably not be back until late,
and you must be up early in the morn
ing to accompany the parlor maid to
the station to put her on the train.
Poor Mary could never find her way
about the streets alone"
Mary, the parlor maid, was going
home to pay visit to her sick mother.
But Elizabeth did not care, for her
heart was beating wildly from sheer
ecstacy. When the auto rolled away
she hurried upstairs and slipped into
the ball dress and slippers. Then,
with her head and shoulders shrouded
in her wrap she went into the street
and entered a street car.
Nobody stopped her at the door.
Masked, among hundred other
masked women, her presence excited
no comment. She recognized Beatrice,
in her creation Of filmy white, and her
aunt, seated among the chaperons and
watching her daughter with an express