The Washington herald., 1914-05-30

4
Cupid has besn known 10 b blind
ord cross-eyed, and sufRering from sttg'
matlsm. .far-ashtednsss. -sishtednsss
aed. other optic ailments. but 10 The ca
tW Ethel Dexter ara wiliism Iythsos u
| VS. case OF love 1t nrst sight-an
bfndfolded love at that SsElJ -
He could not know whethsr her eyea
were blue CT gray, whether they Wers
sad or mirthfuL serious or sporfiv6 HI
was IN love-he scarcely knew with what,
unless 1t were her bewildsring silvsry
laughter and the dangling. rebeIioul
curis that writhed about her face. And
Ethel Dexter, though in love with VIII
lam, Lythgoe, hadn't the least ides what
be looked like. That u one of the piquant
drawbacks Of falling In love at . mas
qperade ball
They were standing in the conservatory.
II has been observed that two persons
~ . masquerade ball who gravitate 10
ward each other also gravitate toward
the conservatory. He looked speculative
~ At the mask that half-concealec hef
face.
'T am betting on hazel" he murmursd.
''Haxel-who IL Hazei7" she demanded.
II mean hazel eyes" he enlightened
other color would 20 well with your
your kind of-of sirlishnesu."
: She laughed meiodiously. You are
doomed to an awful disappointment, Sir
Knight Suppose were to tell you they
are gray?"
Impossible" he declared with convic-
tion. But should like to md out" He
snatched playfully at the mask. She re-
sisted nimbly. and her resistance only
made him the more determined to see her
face. Shielding the mask with her hands
she wriggled from his clutch and with q
mocking laugh ned from the conserva-
tory. 49, r..
HIS eyes were fixed with generating In
tentness on the spot where she had
stood. A little bright object sparkied
and twinixled at his feet He stopped
to pick II up. II was Q bracelet. She
had dropped It. of course. In her strug-
gle to prevent him from learning the
color Of her eyes. He twiried 1t be-
tween his fingers, but there was moth
ing limiting at the Identity Of its owner
mot even an initial He strolied through
the ballroom In the hope Of finding her.
but the little biack-cloaked figure seemed
to have Vanished He returned to the
conservatory and found her struggling
In the arms Of man dressed in fanciful
and gorgeous brocade. A blow from his
nst sent the man sprawling to the floor.
who Is that fellew?" he demanded.
"Oh, you mustn't ask mel hate him
he insulted me-" She stood before him
trembling. then reached out her hand.
Thank YOU" she said simply.
Lythsoe had forgotten the bracelet in
his pocket. When he again sought the
girl to restore the trinket she had
stepped into the ballroom and q man
was whispering in her ear. She seemed
greatly agitated, and after q further ex-
change of whispers she left the ballroom
abruptly.
She did not return. During the days
that followed Lythgoe's spare moments
were occupied in futile inquiries concern
ing a girl whose eyes he was quite sure
were hazel He attended divers society
functions. but found no girl who fitted
hts imaginary, description of her. He ad-
vertised the bracelet, but there were no
replies. He perused the society columns
and studied the blue books In an effort
to find a name appropriate to that sort
Of girl. but his efforts were all In vain.
And then it occurred to him that not .
word of love had been spoken by either
Of them. Nothing had happened in the
short while they had been together that
could be construed even As the lightest
Irritation. She had probably forgotten
him. Memories are short-lived In the
Eddy society world In which he was sure
she dwelt. Perhaps he had only imag-
ined himself in love with her. He began
to reason the thing out logically and ask
himself how q man Of ordinary intellect
can fall in love with girl whose face
he has never seen. The idea was pre-
posterous. But he still carried the brace
let in his pocket as q symbol Of his
love- II he ever met Its owner
they would probably have . good laugh
over It,
He was giving a masquerade ball one
evening. He did not care greatly for
that sort Of thing, but it was better than
being bored to death. And a strange
within impelled him to wear the same kind
Of costume he had worn the night when
he had met the girl Of the hazel eyes.
Again the scene was the conservatory.
They were seated beside . splashing foun-
tain. He was rejecting how different
she was from the girl Of the hazel eyes
more serious, more truly feminine. She
had confided to him that she did not
really belong in his set; that che was q
governess and that the woman who EN-
pIoyed her had coaxed her to come.
He did not know how 1t happened. but
while she talked he had extracted the
little bracelet from his pocket.
How lovely" she exclaimed. May
zee II.
Certainly I found it one night. Il
never succeeded In finding the owner.
Perhaps you would like toto wear IT.
1T wouldn't be wrong, would 1t, AZ
long as the owner hasn't claimed it?'
She slipped the ornament over her wrist
and watched its sparkle beneath the
lights.
TT needn't trouble your conscience"
he told her with laugh. A moment ago
he had been tempted to take her In his
arms and tell her he loved her; now the
bracelet had brought back to him the
vision of girl he had scarcely seen. and
he was beginning to revise his opinion
concerning the unreaIity Of blindfolded
love.
He sought to shake of his depression,
and stared wide-eyed at the vacant seat
where the girl had been.
mo wonder" he murmured, angry with
himself. She must have thought me .
boor."'
He returned to the ballroom, but the
little governess was not there. He
Joined the gay throng, striving desper-