Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-09-28

1t sang. Paris minuetted In the terror
Of the Revolution, and her youngest
daughter In America, singed with
powder, and with bloodstains on her
dainty feet, danced to the music OF
her. own improvised gayety. BRACE saw
the carpetbag governor driving through
the street, surrounded by an escort of
black and mulatto cavalry. From a
balcony came II gunshot, and an enOr-
nous negro in white gloves, sitting
beside his political master, tumbIed
out upon the ground but the carriage
did not halt in its speed, and the hoofs
of the cavalry beat upon the murdered
wretch. In doorway an old man sat
fiddling for his grandchildren to dance
on the fagstones.
"Oh, you'll find drama enough here
that hasn't been rehearsed," said
Shottle as they turned toward the old
st. Charles.
"They appear to have set the stage
for us" BRACE answered him, wonder
ing If ever again he should find the
| girl with the torch of roses.
In connecting rooms and amidst the
luxury of old French furnishings they
were quartered.
Leaving BRACE writing letter, Shot
| tie went out, but he soon returned with
more of light than usually beamed
/ from the sad stretch of his counte-
nance,
'Well, SIR" he cried with astonish-
ing enthusiasm, II wan. 20 tell you
that life is not composed entirely of
ingratitude. Last year when / was
down here saw an old fellow about
| to get into trouble with Mexican
roustabout on the levee. l wasn't in
any particular hurry, so / stopped,
took up piece Of scantling and
knocked the Mexican Gown. 1t was no
particular trouble on my part, but the
| old man took 1t as favor and urged
me to eat dinner with hiya, which /
| did, being broke at the time. Now
what does he do? met him out there,
| and he gives me two tickets for the
French ball at the st. Louis tonight"
"All right; We'll take it in"
II should say we will Why, there's
| likely to be a half dozen duels ar
ranged for. We can see them burst
ing into bloom. But you'll have to
liven up, you know. You are just a
trifie stern, it strikes me. There is
too much of-of your mission showing
in your face. 1 don't know of any
thing better calculated to correct it
than an hour at the roulette wheel.
Suppose we go over and give 1t q
whirl."
"Hope springs internal in the human
breast" BRACE paraphrased the poet.
"Just as well curb yourself, old fell
low. I'm not going to feed your pas
sion."
A tap at the door and Colonel Josh
announced himself from the outside.
Invited to enter, he came in with q
sweeping bow, his beard and mustache
waxed, his hair darkened with dye,
giving to it tinge of blue He bore,
and with ceremonious hesitancy, an
invitation from Miss Lucy. She was
at the delightful old home of rela-
tive where choice guests would as
semble that evening to hear Prof. L.
Bannock Pettigrew read paper on
the origin and character Of the an
cient Scythians.
sim very sorry, Colonel" brace
cheerfully lied, ''but we have another
engagement"
The Colonel gleefully replied that
hn mt int n <,f 70
greet He knew that Captain Drace
would so much enjoy the professor;
his paper would not take up more than
three hours Of the evening. He would
impart to Miss Lucy that Captain
brace found it impossible to come. The
Captain assured him that such was
the true situation and Frightening, the
Colonel gladdehed himself out Of the
room.
The ballroom which brace entered
that night was as fantastic as a gyp-
sy's vision. 1t seemed that all civiliza-
ton had lifted the lids Of its worm
eaten chests to array in whimsic re-
minder Of its former self. There was
evident poverty making itself neat In
old linen. and war victims proud in
threadbare coats. In rags there is his
tory, but no ancestry attached to cloth
fresh from the mill. No unfriendly
eye was supposed to look upon this
gathering, no antagonistic politics per-
mitted to view 1t. The walls were
draped In the colors Of France, and
enshrined in a corner was a Confed-
crate banner, its staff splintered, its
folds darkened with sacred blood.
AS Shottle no longer held the hope
of raising speculative table-stake, he
bent himself to the less interesting life
of the dance. But not without mis-
hapl The floor was smooth with wax
from the ends Of marriage-altar can
dies; and Liberty's feet, more accus-
toned to the rough mating, and
ragged carpets Of the gambling-room,
flew from under him. Catching right
and left in his fall. he came down with
bit of lace in one hand and comb