Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-07-09

from tree and shrub, painting their
rainbow lusters on grass aud drive
way Under the high gray columns OF
the porch and into the wide door,
framed IN its small loaded panes that
gloWed with the merry light within,
poured stream of loneliness: in car
riage-wraps of light tints, collared and
edged with fur or elder, or wide
sleeyed mandarin coats falling back
from dazzling throats and arms, hair
sWathed with chiffon against the night
dews, and CALAMITY cavaliered by mas
culine black and white.
These from their tiring-rooms over
flowed presently, garbed like dreams,
to make obeisance to the dowagers
and then to drift through fower-lined
corridors, the foam on recurrent waves
of discovery. Behind the rose-boweT
in the hall, which shielded a dozen
colored musicians-violins, cello. gull
tars and mandolins-came premonitory
ch1rps and shiVers, which presently
wove into the low and dreamy melody
of Carry Me Back to Old Virginia"
Promptly as the clock in the hall
chimed ten, the music merged into a
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 doub1ets with scroll and
trumpets wound with flowers, behind
them the Queen of Beauty, her finger
tips resting lightly in the hand of the
Knight of the Crimson Rose, and these
followed by as brave a concourse of
lords and ladies as ever graced castle
hall in the gallant days when knight
hood 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-f1owing sleeves
of satin, and from her shoulders rose
a stiff pointed medieval collar of Vene-
tan lace, against whose pale traceries
her bronze hair glowed with rosy
lights. The elge of the square-cut cor
sage 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 la
bored for a frantic half-hour in the
dressing-room for this effect was
held by the seven-year-o1d Byloe
twins, beribboned knickerbockers duly
impressed with the grandeur of their
privilege and grimly intent on acQuit,
ting themselves with glory.
Shirley's 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 conven-
tional panoply a 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 velvet
narrowly edged with ermine hung
from his shoulders, lined with tissue.
like cloth-of-gold. From the rolling
', brim of his hat swept a cutting purple
plume. He wore a slendc- s-sword,
and an order set wit ~lts spar
killed. on his breast
The costume had Lacn enc he had
worn at a fancy ball of the winter be
fore. 1t had been made from paint
ing at Windsor Of one of the dukes OF
Buckingham, and it made perfect foil
for Shirley's white.
The eleven knights of the tourney
each with his chosen lady, if less
splendid, were tricked out in sufficient.
ly gorgeous attire. Many an ancient
brocade had been awakened for the
nonce from it's lavender bed, and ruffs
and gold-braid were at no premium.
(TO BE CONTINUED