AT THE CADIAN BALL, a Short Story by Kate Chopin

In the heart of the Louisiana prairie, Bobint toils under the sun, battling not just the demands of the land but his own yearning for the wild-spirited Calixta. She’s a flame in his mind-a woman whose charms both lure and taunt him, as she dances with others in a world he feels compelled to resist. But when rumors of a rival’s interest in her reach his ears, his careful resolve crumbles. As the dusk settles, he faces a decision that could either quell or stoke the fires of his jealousy. Will he attend the fateful ball, or remain an unwilling observer of his own heartache?