A STOLEN EVENING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10683, 1 February 1913, Page 2

A STOLEN EVENING.

(By SYBIL LETHBRIDGE.)

[All Rights Reserved.] " I wouldn't be wrong-, and it would be such fun, Doris. Why shouldn't I enjoy myself for once? I'm sick of the grind that life is sometimes and this would be such a change. Look, here is the card; why shouldn't I use it?" The speaker was a young and strikingly lovely girl, with a tall, splendidlycarried figure, masses of reddish auburn hair, and deep blue eyes. She and her companion were employed by Madame Carine, the leading dressmaker and milliner in the great town of Dorcaster. " Madame gave you this ticket for the ball; she said it would amuse you to look on, but she never thought that you would dress up and go and pretend you were a guest," said Doris, uneasily. " It seems so —so daring, May." "Rubbishl" retorted. May, her blue eyes flashing. "Madame gave mo the card, and said I could go. I've got that lovely blue-and-silyer that Madame let me have at cost price, a because Miss Woodburn wouldn't take it after it was finished. I shall see heaps of the frocks that we've had' made at our place." , As she'spoke, May took from its linen wrappings the dress of misty chiffon and silver, and regarded it with rapt eyes. "I'll have a cab to the Assembly Rooms, and for once in my life I'll be a real lady, who never does a hand'sturn and has money enough for everything," she declared, with a happy laugh. "Do you think that people will ask mo to dance, or do thoy generally go in parties and dance amongst themselves, Anyway, I shall see all the lovely frocks and be with the people who aro ' enjoying themselves —and that's something." Dorcaster was celebrated for its pretty women, and at the Assembly ball that night it was quite a remarkable tiling to see a plain face; yet, when May Yorley passed up the wide staircase that led to the ballroom a tall radiant vision, murmurs of admiration were heard on every side.

" Who on earth is she?" murmured a tall, dark-faced and distinguished-look-ing man, whose upright bearing had in it something soldierly. "Do find out, Carton; she's the most beautiful girl here to-night." . "You'll hear her.name called out in a moment." rejoined Carton, a slim, cheery-looking boy, with _ grey eyes. You know, Warford, we in Dorcaster do things differently from other towns. At a. charity ball we always have a hostess to receive the guests. This time it's Mrs Faussett; she's the wife of our county member, very short-sighted, and deaf, "but. a good old sort. Now,'listen, the servant's just asking your lovely unknown her name." The. man t called Warford moved a, little forward so that lie could get a good view of May's lovely flushed face, that paled, however, slightly, as the man-servant inquired her name. She had not been prepared fqr this, and the knowledge that she was in a false position was forced upon her. She lost her presence of mind, and instead of giving her real name, she gave the name of that, client of Madame's who hud rejected the dress that May wa6 then wearing. "Miss Woodburn," she said, and the man echoed it in stentorian tones. Mrs Faussett, fat, good-natured, blading with diamonds, had caught the' sound of the name, and was holding out both hands to May.' " Why, of course, it's little May Woodburn, grown out of all knowledge," Mrs Faussett exclaimed kindly. " I've not seen you since yon were a child, but you and your people have been away so long from Dorcaster you're all strangers. I'm glad you're settling here again. Are you alone? In my young days girls required chaperons, but they don't now, itseems. Well, well, I'll look after you; run away and enjoy yourself." As May entered the ballroom one of the stewards approached her, bringing with him a would-be partner for May. " May I introduce Colonel Warford, Miss Woodburn," he said; "and also, may I get you a programme?" May glanced up shyly through her extravagantly long ej'elashes at tho colonel. He was very good-looking, she decided hastily, with a square, strong face and kind, dark eyes. He put out his hand and took her programme. " May I set down my name for as many as I want?" lie said audaciously, and May, ignorant of the wa.ys of ballrooms, said frankly that she would be very pleased. She gave a little gasp, however, when the colonel returned her her card with his initials against more than half the dances. " Oh, but yon can't want all those, she protested ; " why, it's absurd." "Wo needn't dance them, you know," Wa rfnrd told her smilingly, "we can sit them out. if you're tired; we might try a turn though before the room gets too full. I've a friend who wants to be introduced —Jack Carton. TTis people live near the place your father has, taken." May murmured that she was not aecpiainted with Mr Carton, and was thankful to begin dancing. She soon found, however, that lier partner preferred to talk. "It's awfully hot and crowded in here," he said after n few turns; "suppose wo go to one of those jolly little sitting-out- places that they have on the roof. Sort of tents lh.&w'"e made, you

know, and you see ali Korea ster at your feet." May agreed, and the colonel led her to what to her seemed fin enchanted garden of palms and roses, with Oriental rugs upon the ground. No one would have thought that this was merely tho lower roof of the town hall. Below, the lights of the town sparkled and shone like jewels in the darkness. May looked down upon the scene thoughtfully, ail that the colonel was watching her with eager, admiring eyes. "It looks jolly from here, he sanl, " but I should hate to live m a town, wouldn't yon ?" May sighed. " One has to do such a lot of things one hates," she answered. " One wants to live one's own life and enjoy one's self, but one can't." She turned her lovely, wistful face towards Warford as she spoke, and he> was puzzled to hear ono who was said to be an heiress, with the power of gratifying every whim, speak in such a fashion. "You ought to have everything you want," he said frankly. "If I could, Miss Woodburn, I'd give it you." Ho spoke sincerely. May's beauty, her soft charm of manner, had captivated one who hitherto had troubled little about women. For tho rest of the evening he devoted himself to her, and May was herself strangely happy. Longingly she wished that the evening might last for ever. The colonel took her to supper, where Jack Carton was introduced and proved himself a lively, agreeable companion. " How lovely all those wax candles look on the tables," May said, admiringly, as sho looked about her, " ever so much nicer than electric light. Here comes Mrs Faussett. Aren't lier diamonds beautiful? Oh " she gave a little cry, " look! oh!" Mrs Faussett had stopped to speak to a friend at tho next table, and as she leaned forward knocked over one of the slender candlesticks, so tliat the lighted candle fell upon her dress, and tho next instant tho filmy fabric shot up into flames! There was a mid scream, hut at the lanw instant May dashed forward, seized the poor distracted lady in her arms, and crushed out the' fire. It was all done so swiftly that half of those in tho room had not realised what had happened, until they saw Mrs Faussett half fainting, her dress blackened and ruined, whilst May eank ini>o a chair, white and with Hps tortured into a smile that would fain have hidden the pain she was suffering, for one arm had been severely burned. " A doctor. You're hurt; by heavens, it was wonderful, your presence of mind," exclaimed Colonel Warford hoarsely. " Miss Woodburn, you saved Mrs Faussett's life; there's no doubt about it. You've hurt yourself."

But May rose to her feet Avith determination, and moved away. "I must get out of this and homo," she Avhispered, and the colonel contrived to help her away from all the curious eyes that Avere fixed upon her, and to the comparative quiet of the cloakroom. Here the colonel left her to search out a_ doctor from among the guests, and then May seized the opportunity to slip out and home by the back way. When the colonel returned it Avas to find his treasure vanished. " But we'll call on her the first thing to-morrow, and find out hoAV she is," he told his friend Carton. "It'sThredly Hall, isn't it, that her father's taken? She's a splendid girl. Her pluck and presence of mind were .wonderful." "Indeed-they were," agreed Carton. " She Avas Avonderful," The next morning saw the colonel and Carton together Avith the latter's sister Irene, at Thredly Hall, and on inquiring, for Miss Woodburn they were shown into a draAving-room, Avhere a tall, sandy-haired girl in glasses looked at them in some amazement. Irene Carton, Avho was of an impulsive nature, rushed forward and seized their hostess by the hand. " I wanted to tell you how Avonderful I think you, and how plucky it _ was of you to put out the fire, Avlien poor Mrs Faussett might have been burned to death," she said breathlessly; "my brother and the colonel can talk of nothing elso but of you at the ball last night." "Irene, what are you doing?" broke in Carton angrily ; " this isn't Miss Woodburn." " Indeed it is," said the sandyhaired girl, " and what you're talking about I don't know. I've never saved Mrs Faussett or anyone else from burning. I Avasn't at the ball lastnight. " Havo you a sister?" asked the colonel eagerly; "a lovely girl, blue eyes golden hair and " "No, indeed, I'm an only child," said Miss Woodburn tartly; "somebody's been playing a trick on yoJ pretending to bo me." And, though Colonel Warford at first vehemently refused to _ credit this, later, when fresh inquiries had been made in Dorcaster itself, he was obliged to own that it was the truth. The "'lovely stranger who had impersonated May Woodburn was not to be found. She had presumably vanished, and to his grief he could not discover where she had taken refuge. "You'llcome across her by chance," Carton told him consolingly, as they motored through Dorcaster a few days later, " and—why, Avhat's Avrong?" For the colonel bad suddenly shouted to the chauffeur to stop, then, as the car slowed down, he leaped out, dashed across the pavement and into the splendid premises above which was inscribed the legend, "Madame Carine, Court Dressmaker." Carton followed liim, to find the colonel grasping the left hand of "Miss Woodburn," for her right .Avas in a sling, whilst he exclaimed in delight at having found lier. " Looking for yon all this time, I've gone nearly mad," he told her; "if I hadn't seen you go in hero I should have done something desperate. I can't talk here; come in my car and let's discuss it." "I'm just going," said May hesitatingly;- "I—l hoped you'd never find me, Colonel Warford. I was so ashamed of having pretended to be Miss Woodburn. It was so silly of me." "Silly? By JoA'e, it was a blessed chance!" he answered fervently. " Corns, I'm waiting; and Carton—ho'll walk home." Because she wanted to set herself right in the eyes of the colonel, May agreed, and then, from lier lips, he learned how it had been nothing but a girlish escapade. '" Just for an pvonins; I wanted to pretend I was rich," she said wistfullv "Doris didn't want me to, but I would." "Thank goodness you did." said the colonel fervently. Ho took her hands and held the.ui. "Darling, I fell head over ears in love with you the first moment I s-aw you. I knew then that

you wero the only woman in the world for me, If I'd never seen you again T should have died a bachelor. Dearest, will you bo my wife?" May, her eyes misty with happy tears, answered yes, and thus through a stolen evening's pleasuro camo tho joy of her life, and a few weeks later May Yorley ceased to exist, and Mrs George Warford took her place 1