The Argosy — page 186: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

174 Fack’s Neece. Several weeks passed very pleasantly at Feltham. Alice Dene and Daisy had many things to talk of, old jokes to laugh over, old friends to discuss. Once or twice Daisy felt half tempted to tell her friend of her dreadful mistake at Overbridge, but her courage always failed. The memory of it still made her feel miserable, and even in the privacy of her own room brought hot blushes to her cheeks. Mrs. Dene was delighted to have an opportunity of showing her new home to an old friend, and they rode and drove about to- gether, and, as the neighbourhood was a sociable one, there were luncheon and dinner-parties to vary the monotony. There was also the County Ball to look forward to, when all the houses round would be filled-for the occasion. Mrs. Dene had collected a large and merry party of “ young men and maidens,” and felt that her pretty friend would certainly be one of the belles of the ball. When the night of the ball arrived, Daisy could not bring herself to wear again the white dress she had worn at Overbridge—it would be too painful, she felt ; so she chose a very pale pink, which was al- most equally becoming. In a very short time after entering the ball- room her card was nearly filled ; the men of the house-party all begged for dances, and Daisy was feeling most bright and happy, when sud- denly she saw a sight that covered her face with blushes, and almost brought tears to her eyes. It was only a tall, good-looking, soldierly young man, but her con- fusion was great as she recognised “ Uncle Jack ”—no—" Captain Kerr.” She hurriedly looked for Mrs. Dene to beg to be allowed to go home—a sudden “headache,” any plea would do, by which she might effect her escape ; but nowhere could she see Alice. She felt miserable, wretched, wished the floor would open and swallow her. ‘‘T hope he won’t see me,” she thought—but at that moment Jack Kerr turned and saw her. A bright smile of recognition lighted up his pleasant face, and, before she could escape, Captain Kerr stood in front of her. “ May I have a dance?” he asked, and without waiting for an answer, took her card and wrote in the first vacant space one word— “ Tack "—-then bowed and moved on. Daisy felt that now escape was impossible. She danced each dance, but as the one for which “ Jack” had written his name approached, she became more and more silent and nervous, till her partners wondered why Miss Douglas was so absent and pre-occupied. When Captain Kerr’s dance began, he silently offered her his arm. They joined at once the throng of valsers, and Daisy could not help enjoying the real pleasure of a good valse to charming music with a partner whose step suited hers perfectly. At the close of the dance Jack led her into a conservatory. “Now let us have a talk,” he said. First he asked her to tell him all she had been doing since they met, then gave her news of the Allartons, etc. Jack talked so naturally and calmly, that Daisy’s COMIC OOOlKS. CO