CHAPTER IX
THE GIRL WITH THE HEART
Captain Stevenson left us soon after dinner, he being one of theofficers' committee on preparations for the ball, so that I spent alittle time alone at his quarters, Orme and Major Williams having goneover to the Officers' Club at the conclusion of their call. I wasaroused from the brown study into which I had fallen by the sound of aloud voice at the rear of Number 16, and presently heard also Kitty'ssummons for me to come. I found her undertaking to remove from the handsof Annie, her ponderous black cook, a musket which the latter wasattempting to rest over the window sill of the kitchen.
"Thar he goes now, the brack rascal!" cried Annie, down whose sablecountenance large tears were coursing. "Lemme get one good shot at him.I can shore hit him that clost."
"Be silent! Annie," commanded Kitty, "and give me this gun. If I hear ofyour shooting at Benjie any more I'll certainly discharge you.
"You see," explained Kitty to me, "Annie used to be married to BenjieMartin, who works for Colonel Meriwether, at the house just beyond thetrees there."
"I'se married to him _yit_," said Annie, between sobs. "Heap more'n thattaller-faced yaller girl he done taken up with now."
"I think myself," said Kitty, judicially, "that Benjie might at leastbow to his former wife when he passes by."
"That'd be all I _wanted_," said Annie; "but I kaint stand them hortyways. Why, I mended the very shirt he's got on his back right now; and I_bought_ them shoes fer him."
"Annie's _such_ a poor shot!" explained Kitty. "She has taken a pot-shotat Benjie I don't know how many times, but she always misses. ColonelMeriwether sent a file down to see what was going on, the first time,but when I explained it was my cook, he said it was all right, and thatif she missed Benjie it harmed no one, and if she happened to kill himit would be only what he deserved. Annie's the best cook in the Army,and the Colonel knows it. Aren't you, Annie?"
"Ef I could only shoot as good as I ken cook," remarked Annie, "it wouldbe a powerful sight o' res' to my soul. I shorely will git that niggeryet."
"Of course you will," said Kitty. "Just wait till to-morrow morning,Annie, and when he starts around in the yard, you take a rest over thewindow sill. You see," she resumed to me, "we try to do everything inthe world to keep our servants happy and comfortable, Mr. Cowles.
"But now, as to you, sir, it is time you were getting ready for theserious business of the evening. Go into Matt's room, there, and Johnsonwill bring you your disguise."
So finally I got into Captain Stevenson's uniform, which I did notdislike, although the coat was a trifle tight across the back. At thedomino mask they fetched I hesitated, for anything like mummery of thissort was always repugnant to me. Not to comply with the order of theday, however, would now have made me seem rather churlish, so presently,although with mental reservations, I placed myself in the hands of myhostess, who joined me in full ball costume, mask and all.
"You may know me," said Kitty, "by the pink flowers on my gown. They'reprinted on the silk, I suspect. When Matt and I are a major, we'll havethem hand embroidered; but a captain's pay day doesn't come half oftenenough for real hand embroidery."
"I should know you anywhere, Mrs. Kitty," I said. "But now as to thisEllen? How shall I know _her_?"
"You will not know her at all."
"Couldn't you tell me something of how she will look?"
"No, I've not the slightest idea. Ellen doesn't repeat herself. There'llbe a row of a dozen beauties, the most dangerous girls in all St. Louis.You shall meet them all, and have your guess as to which is Ellen."
"And shall I never know, in all the world?"
"Never in all the world. But grieve not. To-night joy is to beunconfined, and there is no to-morrow."
"And one may make mad love to any?"
"To any whom one madly loves, of course; not to twelve at once. But wemust go. See, isn't it fine?"
Indeed the scene on Parade was now gayer than ever. Laughter and chattercame from the crowded galleries all about the square, whose housesseemed literally full to overflowing. Music mingled with the sound ofmerry voices, and forsooth now and again we heard the faint popping ofcorks along Officers' Row. The Army entertained.
At once, from somewhere on Parade, there came the clear note of a bugle,which seemed to draw the attention of all. We could see, ascending thegreat flagstaff at the end of its halyard, the broad folds of the flag.Following this was hoisted a hoop or rim of torches, which paused insuch position that the folds of the flag were well illuminated. Amoment of silence came at that, and then a clapping of hands from allabout the Parade as the banner floated out, and the voices of men, deepthroated, greeting the flag. Again the bands broke into the strains ofthe national anthem; but immediately they swung into a rollickingcavalry air. As they played, all four of the bands marched toward thecenter of the Parade, and halted at the dancing pavilion, where thelighter instruments selected for the orchestra took their places at thehead of the floor.
The throngs at the galleries began to lessen, and from every availableroof of the Post there poured out incredible numbers of gayly-dressedladies and men in uniform or evening garb, each one masked, and allgiven over fully to the spirit of the hour.
"To-night," said Kitty to me, "one may be faithless, and be shriven bythe morning sun. Isn't it funny how these things go? Such a lot of fussis made in the world by ignoring the great fact that man is by natureboth gregarious and polygamous. Believe me, there is much in thisdoctrine of the Mormons, out there in the West!"
"Yes, look at Benjie, for instance," I answered. "It is the spell of newfaces."
"You see a face on the street, in the church, passing you, to be gonethe next instant forever," she mused. "Once I did myself. I was mad tofollow the man. I saw him again, and was yet madder. I saw him yetagain, and made love to him madly, and then--"
"You married him," said I, knowing perfectly well the devotion of thesetwo.
"Yes," said Mrs. Kitty, sighing contentedly, "it was Matt, of course.There's something in that 'Whom God hath joined together.' But it oughtto be God, and not man, that does the joining."
"Suppose we talk philosophy rather than dance."
"Not I! We are here to-night to be young. After all, Jack, you areyoung, and so is--"
"Ellen?"
"Yes, and so is Ellen."
The floor now was beginning to fill with dancers. There moved before usa kaleidoscope of gay colors, over which breathed the fragrance of softmusic. A subtle charm emanated from these surroundings. Music, the sightand odor of sweet flowers, the sound of pleasant waters, the presence ofthings beautiful--these have ever had their effect on me. So now I feltcome upon me a sort of soft content, and I was no longer moved to talkphilosophy.
Sighing, I said to myself that I was young. I turned to speak to myhostess, but she was gone on business of her own. So there I stood forhalf an hour, biting my thumb. I had as yet seen nothing of themysterious Ellen, although many a score of eyes, in license of thecarnival, had flashed through their masks at me, and many others astheir owners passed by in the dance or promenade near where I stood.Presently I felt a tug at my sleeve.
"Come with me," whispered a voice.
It was Kitty. We passed to the opposite side of the dancing floor, andhalted at the front of a wide marquee, whose flaps were spread to covera long row of seats.
"Count them," whispered Kitty hoarsely. "There are twelve!"
And so indeed there were, twelve beautiful young girls, as one mightpronounce, even though all were masked with half-face dominos. Half ofthem were dressed in white and half in black, and thus they alternateddown the row. Twelve hands handled divers fans. Twelve pairs of eyeslooked out, eyes merry, or challenging, or mysterious, one could nottell. About these young belles gathered the densest throng of all thecrowd. Some gentlemen appeared to know certain of the beauties, butthese had hard work to keep their places, for continually others came,and one after another was introduced in turn, all down the line, as
presently it was to be my fortune to be.
"Is she here, Mrs. Kitty?" I whispered.
"You shall guess. Come." And so, as occasion offered, I was put throughthis ordeal, by no means an easy one. At each fair charmer, as I bowed,I looked with what directness I dared, to see if I might penetrate themask and so foil Kitty in her amiable intentions. This occupation causedme promptly to forget most of the names which I heard, and which I doubtnot were all fictitious. As we passed out at the foot of the row Irecalled that I had not heard the name of Ellen.
"Now then, which one is she?" I queried of my hostess.
"Silly, do you want me to put your hand in hers? You are now on your ownresources. Play the game." And the next moment she again was gone.
I had opportunity, without rudeness, the crowd so pressing in behind me,to glance once more up the line. I saw, or thought I saw, just a chanceglance toward where I stood, near the foot of the Row of Mystery, asthey called it. I looked a second time, and then all doubt whatevervanished.
If this girl in the black laces, with the gold comb in her hair, and thegold-shot little shoes just showing at the edge of her gown, and thered rose at her hair, held down by the comb--half hidden by the pile oflocks caught up by the ribbon of the mask--if this girl were not themysterious Ellen, then indeed must Ellen look well to her laurels, forhere, indeed, was a rival for her!
I began to edge through the ranks of young men who gathered there,laughing, beseeching, imploring, claiming. The sparkle of the scene wasin my veins. The breath of the human herd assembled, sex and sex, eachchallenging the other, gregarious, polygamous.
I did not walk; the music carried me before her. And so I bowed andmurmured, "I have waited hours for my hostess to present me to MissEllen." (I mumbled the rest of some imaginary name, since I had heardnone.)
The girl pressed the tip of her fan against her teeth and looked at memeditatively.
"And ours, of course, is _this_ dance," I went on.
"If I could only remember all the names--" she began hesitatingly.
"I was introduced as Jack C., of Virginia."
"Yes? And in what arm?"
"Cavalry," I replied promptly. "Do you not see the yellow?" I gesturedtoward the facings. "You who belong to the Army ought to know."
"Why do you think I belong to the Army?" she asked, in a voice whose lowsweetness was enough to impel any man to catch the mask from her faceand throw it down the nearest well.
"You belong to the Army, and to Virginia," I said, "because you asked mewhat is my arm of the service; and because your voice could come fromnowhere but Virginia. Now since I have come so far to see you and havefound you out so soon, why do you not confess that you are Miss Ellen?Tell me your name, so that I may not be awkward!"
"We have no names to-night," she answered. "But I was just thinking;there is no Jack C. in the _Gazette_ who comes from Virginia and whowears a captain's straps. I do not know who you are."
"At least the game then is fair," said I, disappointed. "But I promiseyou that some time I shall see you face to face, and without masks.To-morrow--"
"Tut, tut!" she reproved. "There is no to-morrow!"
I looked down on her as I stood, and a certain madness of youth seizedhold upon me. I knew that when she rose she would be just tall enough;that she would be round, full, perfect woman in every line of herfigure; that her hair would be some sort of dark brown in the daylight;that her eyes would also be of some sort of darkness, I knew not what,for I could not see them fully through the domino. I could see the hairpiled back from the nape of as lovely a neck as ever caught a kiss. Icould see at the edge of the mask that her ear was small and close tothe head; could see that her nose must be straight, and that it sprangfrom the brow strongly, with no weak indentation. The sweep of a strong,clean chin was not to be disguised, and at the edge of the mask I caughtnow and then the gleam of white, even teeth, and the mocking smile ofred, strongly curved lips, hid by her fan at the very moment when I wasabout to fix them in my memory, so that I might see them again and know.I suspect she hid a smile, but her eyes looked up at me grandly anddarkly. Nineteen, perhaps twenty, I considered her age to be; gentle,and yet strong, with character and yet with tenderness, I made estimatethat she must be; and that she had more brains than to be merely a layfigure I held sure, because there was something, that indefinablemagnetism, what you like to call it, which is not to be denied, whichassured me that here indeed was a woman not lightly to accept, norlightly to be forgotten. Ah, now I was seized and swept on in a swiftmadness. Still the music sang on.
"My hostess said it would be a lottery to-night in this Row of Mystery,"I went on, "but I do not find it so."
"All life is lottery," she said in answer.
"And lotteries are lawful when one wins the capital prize. One stretchesout his hand in the dark. But some one must win. I win now. The game ofmasks is a fine one. I am vastly pleased with it. Some day I shall seeyou without any mask. Come. We must dance. I could talk better if wewere more alone."
As I live, she rose and put her hand upon my arm with no furtherargument; why, I cannot say, perhaps because I had allowed no other manto stand thus near her.
We stepped out upon the crowded floor. I was swept away by it all, bythe waltz, by the stars above, by the moon, by the breath of women andthe scent of their hair, and the perfume of roses, by the passion ofliving, by youth, youth! Ah, God! ah, God!--I say to you, it was sweet.Whatever life brings to us of age and sorrow, let us remember our youth,and say it was worth the while. Had I never lived but that one night, ithad been worth while.
She danced as she stood, with the grace of a perfect young creature, andthe ease of a perfect culture as well. I was of no mind to look further.If this was not Ellen, then there was no Ellen there for me!
Around and around we passed, borne on the limpid shining stream of thewaltz music, as melancholy as it was joyous; music that was young; foryouth is ever full of melancholy and wonder and mystery. We danced. Nowand again I saw her little feet peep out. I felt her weight rest lightagainst my arm. I caught the indescribable fragrance of her hair. A gemin the gold comb now and then flashed out; and now and again I saw hereyes half raised, less often now, as though the music made her dream.But yet I could have sworn I saw a dimple in her cheek through the mask,and a smile of mockery on her lips.
I have said that her gown was dark, black laces draping over a closefitted under bodice; and there was no relief to this sombernessexcepting that in the front of the bodice were many folds of lacy lawn,falling in many sheer pleats, edge to edge, gathered at the waist by agirdle confined by a simple buckle of gold. Now as I danced, myselfabsorbed so fully that I sought little analysis of impressions sopleasing, I became conscious dimly of a faint outline of some figure incolor, deep in these folds of lacy lawn, an evanescent spot or blur ofred, which, to my imagination, assumed the outline of a veritable heart,as though indeed the girl's heart quite shone through! If this were atrick I could not say, but for a long time I resisted it. Meantime, aschance offered in the dance--to which she resigned herself utterly--Iwent on with such foolish words as men employ.
"Ah, nonsense!" she flashed back at me at last. "Discover something new.If men but knew how utterly transparent they are! I say that to-night wegirls are but spirits, to be forgot to-morrow. Do not teach us to forgetbefore to-morrow comes."
"I shall not forget," I insisted.
"Then so much the worse."
"I cannot."
"But you must."
"I will not. I shall not allow--"
"How obstinate a brute a man can be," she remonstrated.
"If you are not nice I shall go at once."
"I dreamed I saw a red heart," said I. "But that cannot have been, for Isee you have no heart."
"No," she laughed. "It was only a dream."
"To-night, then, we only dream."
She was silent at this. "I knew you from the very first," I reiterated.
"What, has Kitty talked?"
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bsp; It was my turn to laugh. "Ah, ha!" I said. "I thought no names were tobe mentioned! At least, if Kitty has talked, I shall not betray her. ButI knew you directly, as the most beautiful girl in all the city. Kittysaid that much."
"Oh, thank thee, kind sir!"
"Then you knew I was a Quaker? Kitty has talked again? I had forgottenit to-night, and indeed forgotten that Quakers do not dance. I said Iought not to come here to-night, but now I see Fate said I must. I wouldnot have lived all my life otherwise. To-night I hardly know who I am."
"Officer and gentleman," she smiled.
The chance compliment came to me like a blow. I was not an officer. Iwas masking, mumming, I, John Cowles, who had no right. Once more,whither was my folly carrying me? Suddenly I felt saddened.
"I shall call you The Sorrowful Knight," chided my fair companion."
"Quite as well as any name, my very good friend."
"I am not your friend."
"No, and indeed, perhaps, never may be."
Her spirit caught the chill of this, and at once she motioned the edgeof the floor.
"Now I must go," she said. "There are very many to whom I am promised."I looked at her and could very well believe the truth of that. Manythings revolved in my mind. I wondered whether if after all Kitty hadhad her way; wondered if this was the mysterious Ellen, and if after allshe had also had her way! Ah, I had fallen easily!
"Sir Sorrowful," she said, "take me back." She extended a little handand a round arm, whose beauty I could fully catch. The longmousquetaires of later days were then not known, but her hands stoodperfectly the trying test of white kids that ended short at the wrist.
Reluctantly I moved away with her from the merry throng upon thepavilion floor. At the edge of the better lighted circle she paused fora moment, standing straight and drawing a full, deep breath. If thatwere coquetry it was perfect. I swear that now I caught the full outlineof a red, red heart upon her corsage!
"Mademoiselle," I said, as I left her, "you are Ellen, and you have aheart! At half past ten I shall come again. Some day I shall take awayyour mask and your heart."
"Oh, thank thee!" she mocked again.
At half past ten I had kept my word, and I stood once more at the Row ofMystery. The chairs were vacant, for the blue coats had wrought havocthere! A little apart sat a blonde beauty of petite figure, who talkedin a deep contralto voice, astonishing for one so slight, with a younglieutenant who leaned close to her. I selected her for Tudie Devlin ofKentucky. She whom I fancied to be the "Evans girl from up North," wasjust promenading away with a young man in evening dress. A brunette whomI imagined to be Sadie Galloway of the Ninth was leaning on the back ofa chair and conversing with a man whom I could not see, hidden in theshade of a tent fold. I looked behind me and saw a row of disgruntledgentlemen, nervously pacing up and down. At least there were othersdisappointed!
I searched the dancing floor and presently wished I had not done so. Isaw her once more--dancing with a tall, slender man in uniform. At leasthe offered no disguise to me. In my heart I resented seeing him wear theblue of our government. And certainly it gave me some pang to which Iwas not entitled, which I did not stop to analyze, some feeling ofwretchedness, to see this girl dancing with none less than Gordon Orme,minister of the Gospel, captain of the English Army, and what otherinconsistent things I knew not!
"Buck up, Jack," I heard a voice at my side. "Did she run away fromyou?"
I feigned ignorance to Kitty. "They are all alike," said I,indifferently. "All dressed alike--"
"And I doubt not all acted alike."
"I saw but one," I admitted, "the one with a red heart on her corsage."
Kitty laughed a merry peal. "There were twelve red hearts," she said."All there, and all offered to any who might take them. Silly, silly!Now, I wonder if indeed you did meet Ellen? Come, I'll introduce you toa hundred more, the nicest girls you ever saw."
"Then it was Ellen?"
"How should I know? I did not see you. I was too busy flirting with myhusband--for after awhile I found that it was Matt, of course! It seemssome sort of fate that I never see a handsome man who doesn't turn outto be Matt."
"I must have one more dance," I said.
"Then select some other partner. It is too late to find Ellen now, or toget a word with her if we did. The last I saw of her she was simplypersecuted by Larry Belknap of the Ninth Dragoons--all the Army knowsthat he's awfully gone over Ellen."
"But we'll find her somewhere--"
"No, Jack, you'd better banish Ellen, and all the rest. Take my adviceand run over home and go to bed. You forget you've the match on forto-morrow; and I must say, not wanting to disturb you in the least, Ibelieve you're going to need all your nerve. There's Scotch on thesideboard, but don't drink champagne."
The scene had lost interest to me. The lights had paled, the music wasless sweet.
Presently I strolled over to Number 16 and got Johnson to show me mylittle room. But I did very little at the business of sleeping; and whenat last I slept I saw a long row of figures in alternate black andwhite; and of these one wore a red rose and a gold comb with a jewel init, and her hair was very fragrant. I did not see Grace Sheraton in mydreams. Clearly I reasoned it out to myself as I lay awake, that if Ihad seen Ellen once, then indeed it were best for me I should never seeEllen again!