The Washington times., 1914-01-01
CHAPTER Xxx.

~ ROM dinner onward, men and
II women in a thousand different
houses in London were rougfng,
olackening and Transforming
themselves in Greek gods. red Indians,
priEna bal erinas, funeral mutes or
! whatever else their whimscality sug-
gested as a picturesque disguise.
The unfortunate who had neither the
means nor the luck to secure tickets
were waiting patiently on tile steps of
Albert Hall. under the charge Of equally
| patient policemen, to see them drive up
| in taXis.
! Bluebeards in silk turbans handed out
| prim little early Victorian maidens;
| Bacchus' drove up in the company of a
| pale, cloistered nun: Mephlstopheles
| with an Eastern hOuri. They were seen
and eyed Iaughingly by the crowd until.
| armed with the open sesame Of red or
| white ticket. they passed the guardian
| beefeaters at the door and vanished
| within the hall of a thousand delights.
| From the ball room came the strains
! Of the orch estra, challenged by the buzz
| Of laughter and conversation from the
| hundreds of curiOuslv assorted couples
| who waltZed uncomlortabiy but mer-
rily-like sardines trying TO. dance in
| the confinement of their tin.
All the races Of the earth from the pc
! ginning OF time were gathered under
! the roof of the mighty building, and if
there were none bold enough to repre-
! sent Adam. there were several whose
/ imitation of Eve was close one.
In the confused blur of color kaleido-
scoping the floor, the eye was caught
for q second by a Dutch girl in white
cap and clogs flashing by on the arm OF
! King Charles, beruineu, be"igged and
beIaced; an Apache, colored handler
chief doing duty for collar. and cas-
Quettc over one eye, clasping an Irish
colleen: a crusader, his helmet 81 nting
I in the countless lights, his white Cloak
flowing. breathing sweet nOthinGs into
tCe ear of the Hen Pheasant; cupid.
bare Of leg and arm, fast IN the arms
Of Death.
In the tiers OF boxes ranged all
round the circle of harlequins and Co
| lumbines, natives of ancient Greece and
Rome Nelson's and Napoieons hob
nobbed with Assyriams, Harry Ladders.
Man Fridays, mummies, and Eighteenth
Century bucks.
4 sudden burst of applause drew all
eyes to the entrance OF Don QuixOte,
a Oof Of eye ard lined OF face, bearing
bis gigantic ,ance and shield and
IoouEted upon mis- gallant but eccentric
charger. whose hind legs moved quite
independently Of his front ones. a
French fisherman III loose blouse ard
tam-c' -shanter hat siouched over To a
golden-hsired maiden clad in a leopard
skin and vine-leaves and touched his
foreiock.
MademoiseIle veut des poissons?' he
demanded gruffly.
For a moment Tie maiden stared.
.'Why, it's yoC!' she cried aT last. She
was very carefully made up, with a
particular attention TO detail. In the
brilliantly lighted ballroom her COM
pleyion had the delicacy of q just-ripe
peach. Her u@:k and breast and arms
we're creamy white. Under her eye
lashes was :. faint, barely perceptible, |
line of black, and the vine-leaves in her
hair were arranged with the certainty |
of an artist. |
Her eyelids. half lowered as she met |
the eyes of the Durly fisherman, and a I
tiny smile puciieTeG the corners of her /
mouth u; he si9pcd his arm round her |
waist and danced her away. He was