PAGE 6
Making A Sensation
by
“That she does,” responded the friend. “Every other girl in the room will be dying of envy or neglect before the evening is over.”
“That would speak little for the gallantry of the men or the good sense of the young ladies,” was the quiet reply.
Several times the eye of Henry Clarence wandered around the room in search of Caroline–but he did not see her in the gay assemblage.
“She told me she would be here,” he mentally said, “and I should really like to mark the contrast between her and the brilliant Miss Fenton. Oh! there she is, as I live, leaning on the arm of her father, the very personification of innocence and beauty. But her face is too calm by half. I fear she is cold.”
Truly was she as Henry Clarence had said, the personification of innocence and beauty. Her dress of snowy whiteness, made perfectly plain, and fitting well a figure that was rather delicate, but of exquisite symmetry, contrasted beautifully with the gay and flaunting attire of those around her. Her head could boast but a single ornament, besides her own tastefully arranged hair, and that was a sprig of buds and half-blown flowers as white as the dress she had chosen for the evening. Her calm sweet face looked sweeter and more innocent than ever, for the contrast of the whole scene relieved her peculiar beauty admirably.
“An angel?” ejaculated a young man by the side of Clarence, moving over towards the part of the room where Caroline stood, still leaning on the arm of her father.
“We wanted but you to make our tableau complete,” he said, with a graceful bow. “Let me relieve you, Mr. Gay, of the care of this young lady,” he added offering his arm to Caroline–and in the next minute he had joined the promenade with the sweetest creature in the room by his side.
The beautiful contrast that was evident to all, between Caroline, the plainest-dressed maiden in the room, and Melvina the gayest and most imposing, soon drew all eyes upon the former, and Melvina had the discrimination to perceive that she had a rival near the throne, in one whom she little dreamed of fearing; and whose innocent heart she knew too well to accuse of design.
Soon cotillion parties were formed, and among the first to offer his hand to Melvina, was a young man named Sheldon, the same alluded to as declaring that he would dance with her, as he always did with the belle of the ball room. Melvina knew his character well, and Henry Clarence was aware that she possessed this knowledge. His eye was upon her, and she knew it. But she did not know of the determination that he formed or else she would have hesitated.
“The most splendid man in the room, and the most graceful dancer,” were the thoughts that glanced through her mind, as she smiled an assent to his invitation to become his partner. “I shall not yet lose my power.”
And now all eyes were again upon the brilliant beauty threading the mazy circles, with glowing cheek and sparkling eye. And few thought of blaming her for dancing with Sheldon, whose character ought to have banished him from virtuous society. But there was one whose heart sickened as he looked on, and that one was Henry Clarence. He lingered near the group of dancers but a few minutes, and then wandered away to another room.
“Permit me to transfer my company, Mr. Clarence,” said the young man who had thus far monopolized the society of Caroline Gay. “I will not be selfish; and besides, I fear I am becoming too dull for my fair friend here.”
With a bow and a smile, Clarence received on his arm the fair girl. He felt for her a tenderer regard than had heretofore warmed his heart, as he strolled through the rooms and listened to her sweet, penetrating voice. And whenever he turned and looked her in the face, he saw that in the expression of her eyes which he had never marked before–something of tenderness that made his own heart beat with a quicker motion. As they drew near the dancers, they observed Sheldon with Melvina leaning on his arm, and two or three others, engaged in maikng up another cotillion.