Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-04-22

it and l know from vat l schpeak-
( Pearl is not so a person to willingly
offend anyone, howefer much she
might tink she hat cause. Tiny puts
it on so an air of injured innocence
to attract attention to herself which
she knows it veil she could not do
it unless some such stage blay as she
now makes it,
Miss Marcus did all she could to
calm the troubled waters, even Of
fering to apologize for anything she
had said to ruffle the feelings of the
obstinate Spitz, but the skeleton
would not down, so the young lady
was left to herself where she was
given a fine opportunity to mediate
upon the vanity of things in gener-
al and evening parties in particular.
Meantime the company continued to
enjoy itself to the utmost as it had
perfect right to do. Fully an hour
had elapsed, blind mans buff was
having its innings, happy, hilarious
unconcern was Embossed and on the
floor, pretty things were whispered
in the ears of pretty girls and heard
with pretty bushes of innocent
pleasure. Frances and Jesse were
never happier in all their lives. John
Armstrong was standing near the
door where he was smiling approx
ingly on the jolly scene. Mrs. Arm
strong was discreetly overlooking
one or two things she could not quite
approve Of, all the time pretending
that she did not see them, things
which, had she known it, were only
the beginnings of certain innovations
which were just then creeping into
the merry makings of the young peo-
pie, harmless enough in themselves,
albeit, rather startling to one un-
accustomed to them. But Mrs. Arm
strong was a wise woman, so if her
eyesight was not quite as good as
usual just then surely it is no bust
ness of ours.
Hiram Schocky VINO had been un-
animously chosen to be the goat OF
the game, was demonstrating to the
mirth makers that beyond all ques-
tion he had been appropriately dub
| bed Ginger" for he was surely
making good his right to the title
by his strenuous though vain efforts
to make captive, the girls easily
eluding his well meant onslaughts.
1t must however in justice to him,
be said that once Miss Honore lie
Cavalier had a very narrow escape,
at which the girls shamelessly gig
gled, while the boys encouraged him
by such timely remarks as GO it
Hi" We'll done old man" Mighty
nigh made it that time - Watch out
i here's Honore right here" Now
whether it was because of these and
similar stimulating boots that Hi
| Gill wac oh W GiCdtCl Cl-
forts cannot be said with certainty,
and however that may be, at the very
insant that his good right arm en-
circled the waist of Miss Honore,
skeleton number two arrived on the
scene, creating at once most
unwelcome diversion.
Tiny Spitz, weary of the situation
in which she had so foolishly placed
herself, had gone to the door that
opened to the lawn on the west side
of the house and was looking out on
the lawn when she was suddenly star
tied at the appearance of face from
which two small, cruel looking eyes
were peering at her from behind a
lilac bush in front and little to one
side of the door. Perhaps under or
binary circumstances Tiny would not
have been greatly disturbed, she
would have thought, most likely that
the face belonged to some one who,
on his way home had been attracted
by the unusual gayety and merely
wanted to get nearer view of the
proceedings.
But Tiny's mind was not in its
normal state just then. Moreover
the face she saw was not an ordinary
face, it was the face of an Indian or
Negro, she could not tell which, for
she saw its natural responsiveness
vastly augmented by the play of the
moonlight among the leaves of the
lilac. which caused grotesque shad-
ows to dance in fantastic forms over
its rusty surface. twisting it into
such weird, unnatural contortions
as to make 1t so utterly hideous, SO
inexpressibly frightful that the poor
girl overcome with terror, gave a
piercing scream, and fell to the
floor where she Immediately tainted
away.
There was a rush to her assis-
J lance, everybody at once offering
their good offices, but 1t was Mrs
Badleigh who knew just what to do
and proceeded to do II with an ala