Alma record., 1914-04-02
By half past nine o'clock


tom had begun to arrive, and the great
iron gate at the front of the drive
erect and rustless now-saw an impos-
ing professional of carriages. These
passed up slope as radiant with the
fairy light OF paper lanterns as a Japa-
nese thoroughfare In festival season
The colored bulbs swung moon-like
from tree and shrub, painting their
rainbow lusterS on grass and 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 a stream of loveliness: in car
riage-wraps of light tints, collared and
edged with fur or elder, or wide
sleeved mandarin coats falling back
from dazzling throats and arms, hair
swathed with chiffon against the night
dews, and gallantly cavaliered by mas
culine black and white.
These from their firing grooms over.
flowed presently, garbed like dreams,
to make obeisance to the dowagers
and then to drift through fiower-lined
corridors, the foam on recurrent waves
of discovery. Behind the rose bower
in the hall, which shielded a dozen
colored musicians-violins, cello. gui
tars and mandolins-came premonitory
chirps and shivers, which presently
wove into the low and dreamy melody
of Garry Ne 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,
a stately procession: two heralds in
fawn-colored doublets 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 concourso 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 dpearl over
which hung long semi-1owing sleeves
of satin, and from her shoulders rose
a stiff pointed medieval collar of Vene-
tian 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-old 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 II 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
narrowly edged with ermine hung
| from his shoulders, lined with tissue.
! like cloth-of-gold From the rolling
! brim of his hat swept curling purple
! plume. He wore a slender dress-sword,
and an order set with brilliants spar
kled on his breast.
The costume had been one he had
4 OF 70 ha Of tnta ha
| fore. 1t had been made from a paint.
ing at Windsor of one of the dukes of
Buckingham, and it made perfect foil
for Shirleys white.
The eleven knights of the tourney
each with his chosen lady, if less
splendid, were tricked out in sufficien
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 the twanging of the deft black
fingers. they passed in gorgeous array
between files of low-cut gowns and
flower-like faces and masculine swal-
tails. to the yellow parlor. Once
there the music ceased with a splendid
crash. the eleven knights each dropped
upon one knee, the eleven ladies-in-
waiting curtsied low, and Shirley, seat
ed upon the dais, leaned her FURNISHED
head to receive the crown. What
though the bauble was but bristol
board, its jeweled chasing but tinsel
and paste? On her head 1t glowed and
trembled, a true diadem. AS Valiant
set the glittering thing on those rich
and wonderful coils. the music of her
presence was singing a swift melody
in his blood.
His coronation address held no such
fiowery periods as would have rolled
from the majors soul. He had chosen
a single paragraph he had lighted on in
an old book in the library-a history-of
the last Crusade in French black-let-
ter. He had translated and memorized
the archaic phrasing, keeping the
quaint feeling of the original:
These noble knights bow in your