Onr Fancy-dress Ball.

Otago Witness, Issue 2761, 13 February 1907, Page 89

Onr Fancy-dress Ball.

On the afternoon cf our fancy-dress ball we were awfully startled by the two little Tomlinsons (dressed as Indian pnnces) arriving at 3 o'clock, although no one had been asked to come till half-past 4. It seems it was on account of "Oome early" being printed on the invitation card. Of course, we had to pretend we were very pleased to see them so soon, and Aunt Caroline told me to stop down and Ainuee them. They did look little fools ! They were twins; md five years old — just the ago I hate. Well, I bad told them all I knew of ghosts and bogies, and had nearly finished about Jack Sheppard, when they both began to cry. I could not stand this, so I gave them each a volume of the "EncyclopEedia Britannica," and explained to them that, if they moved an inch, Jack Sheppard would come down the chimney and scrag them. I then went upstairs and dressed.

Towards 5 o'clock the people began to arrive in great numbers. Aunt Carol : ne had not told any of us how she was going to be dressed, and created quite a sensation by sailing in as "Queen of the May," with a wreath of parsley round her head. She was certainly got up very cheaply. But, somehow or other, she did not look quite natural. I am nearly sure the Queen of the May never wore spectacles. But many of the (costumes were magnificent. The two Simper girls from next door looked as nice as anyone. They came as fairies, and were one mass of silver. A great many boys were dressed as sailors; but this I consider rather mean, as they simply wore their best suits.

I danced the first dance with Ethel Simper. She is awfully pretty, and we got on very nicely together till I backed her right mto a P'llar-box— that is to say, a boy who was covered all the way round with «tiff red cardboard, and could not 6it down at all. This seemed to annoy Ethel very much, and she eaid to me, "You are horrid !" That made me angry, and I said to her, "You are not a bit stuck-up, are you?" And then she walked off in a huff, and we have not talked since. I am sorry, because she is so pretty. I found out afterwards what it was that made her flare up so. In the collision a piece of lier drees had become detached, and it turned out to be silver paper, on the back of which was printed the words "Blitzer's Cocoa." "Ha, ha! this tells its own tale, Miss Haughty," thought I to myself. She had told me her oostume wae all real silver ! Meanwhile the Pillarbox was lying quite etill and stiff on the floor. It made me shudder, for I thought it was dead. But it wae only hurt, and could not possibly get up of its own accord, co lather and Martha had to carry it into another room.

The next dance I had was with a rather nice girl named Lobb. I had just been telling her .about Aunt Caroline's cy«s, when I lieard aunt's squeaky voice cry out, "Tommy, my dear, I don't think your hands are over-clean, are they?" "They must be!" I shouted back; "I washed them only this morning, before doing that charcoal-drawing. Mind your own busincf 1 ? ! ' She then said. "How dar-s you. eir! I eha.ll let your father know of this." "So are you!" I cried, and then passed on. She made my blood boil, and I hardly knew what I &eid. I was co angry at her saying things like (hat before th" Lobb girJ and Giblett, and everyone. But a worse accident wae to come.

Little Charlie Sheescr \iae diosscrl up as a cat It was really a very gocd ltaitation. But Charlie was beginning to foel aleepy, so father tried to amuse him by calling. "Pus<=, puss, pus 1 ?!"' "V\"el!, Charlie soon enteicd into the fun of the thing and, while he was walking on all fours who should rush in, snarling, but our dog Growler ! Aunt Caroline screamed, arid no did 6e\eral other ladies, and Martha, my nurse, went off into hysterics. It real'v was very serious — it looked just as- if Charlie Cheeser was going to be massacred for Growler pounced down on him, and tried to bite him. However, Growler eooi found that it wae not x real cat. and then lie left him. But he seemed to be in a great teaiper at our havirpj attempted to fool him. After jumping up at Aunt Caroline's crown of pursier, and lickmsr Martha's face, he spied out the two Simper girls, and, smelling the cocoa, oonamenocd stripping the silver paper off their dresses. Oh, it was exciting ! — Pall Mall Magazine