The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-12-08

with its shrill persistent little treble III
manner distracting to Dicks over-sensi-
tive ear. He thought of Mozart's saying
that the only thing in the world worse
than flute in an orchestra was two
flutes, and wondered at Mrs. Groy's
choice in music. Nevertheless, as long
as he was there he might MS well dance,
and looking around for familiar faces, his
first glance fell upon brown-eyed
maiden whom he had met at a party only
the week before, and whom he had adj
mircd with the guarded and half-supcr-
cilious admiration of veteran society
man. in another minute they were on
the floor contending with their fellow
creatures for little room to whirl around
in, and seemingly successful III their
struggle, until slight lurch sent them
rather suddenly against another pair o
dancers.
"That was stupid, wasn't it?" said
Dick, as they stopped to take breath
after the conclusion.
eyes, replied she Of the brown eyes,
raising them frankly to his face. "Iou
are fllntt pour NuIlCCI' iVli'l'" -"
are ont Of practice?'
Indeed ought not to be-" protested
Dick, i'll unutterable Indignation at tho
charge. Il never danced more III my
life than have this winter.
SIS that so? 1t must be awkwartness
then," said his companion, gently.
"Some people never can thoroughly
learn. l think it is a natural gift.
Dick wondered if he could have heard
Alright or if that wretched little flute, still
piping away SO complaccntly, had
absolutely bewildered him. Ii there was
one thing he prided himself on moro
than another-one gift, natural or other
wise, which he felt sure OF possessing-it
was his dancing. Was the brown-eyed
damscl ont Of her mind or was she
simply an ill-bred little thing, who did
not know good dancer from bad one?
Whichever was the case he lost 10 time
in getting rid of her, and still mute with
amazement and disgust, took refuge
among n group Of men ut the door,
"You here, Turner" said one of them.
81 hardly recognized you at first, you
look so yellow aud thin.
800 /, indeed?' said Dick, shortly,
and wondering what he was doomed to
hear next
81 should rather think you did" was
the friendly answer. 81 just said to
Smith, here, rs You came up, that be-
tween your sallow skin and that bald
spot on your head, you were beginning
to look like an old man before your time.
Why don't You take to country life and
early hours aud ireshen up Il hit?'
"Why don't you mind your own al
fairs and kindly leave me to attend to
minc?' retorted Dick, now thoroughly
aroused, and without waiting for another
word he vcerod around and left the
group, who, one and all, seemed pro
touudly nstonished at his i'll temper.
BY this time he began to feel n little
uncertain who to approach next. Hay
ing been told already that he was stupid,
ugly and Il bad dancer, what WIS there
left for him to hear. He certainly had
never met so many disa%rocablo people
in his life and he had serious thoughts Of
beating a permanent retreat, when he
| CAUGHT sight of blonde head half hidden
beneath the azalcas in the conservatory
1t was Florence Rcdifcr, whom he had
never expected to meet Tonight and
whom two hours ago he would have Ill
dignanty avoided. But for some reason
his contempt for her liottery and false
ness had been strangely modified III 50
short time and he felt II positive yoam-
ing to listen again to her pretty notmn"s
and to see her blue eyes upllfted with
that tender glance Of almirlng trustIuI-
ness to his 1t must have cost her a
great deal Of time and patience to cultl-
waite the glance up to its present pcrlcc-
ton and it was rnkind, after all, to snGtr
at the result of such honest and cndcar-
ing toll.
The next minute he was by her side,
She looked very pretty: her fair hair
tumbed in some mysterious fashion ON
the top of her shapely little head; her
bright face lit up with smiles, and her
white silk cleaning under the coIored
lamps with soft and shifting radiance
that pleased Dicks cultivated eye. HO
was not one of those to whom Il woman's
gown is matter Of indifference.
81 came in here for a little air, she
said: 'the rooms are so terribly hot and
the whole affair is very stupid Don't
you think sou
at has been worse than stupid for
me-" he answered, laughing. Il have
been insultcd wherever / went. First,
Mrs. Gray told me / was often very
stupid; then Miss Vincent, do You know
: her? She is dancing now with Tom
Stern" -,
81 don't know her; but never mind
, What did she say to you?
!, sShe told me | was awkward and n
bad dancer. and minated that | could
never thoroughly learn.
, Florence Redifer burst into laugh as
!, clear and merry rs silver bells. "But
Won know, Mr.. Turner she said, 'youl
best friends do not claim for you that
Z you dance we'll"
Dick gasped and then recovered; hi
was getting hardened now. 81 always
" fiattered myself did, he said boldly.
c She looked at him in some surprise
"Of course, L don't mean to say, she
i explained. "that one cannot get around
with YOU at all, but only that you are no
. very graceful and sure-footed. There
. are plenty of men here who dance worse
4 MIR Simpson, for instance.
az should hope So" said Dick, a!
y Simpson, little weak-eyed man, witt
II held his fair partner as il he feared sh'
v was packed with dynamite aud was IL
]" danger every minute of exploding
moved laboriously past the door. "
a. that is the best You can say Tor me, MIS-
70 Florence, / shall never have the audacit,
/ to ask YOU to dance again" and with
> heavy heart he left the conservatory, nov
9, fully satisfied he had had enough OF Mrs
y Grey's ball. =,
W NJ IL n oIasa of champaOne in tn