The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-08-09
A GOOD DANCER.

The men tell me that I am pretty
good dancer myself, which may or may
not be the case.
This, however, I will own up to-,
whether it is boasting or not-I do know
whether a man is a good dancer or
whether he is not from the very first
moment my finger tips drop upon his
arm.
That man about whom was let in
for SO much unmerciful chaff at our last
assembly ball is very good case in
point. Whatever were his other draw
backs, he was undoubtedly a good
waltZer-one of the best ever danced
with.
Certainly, as it turned out, he did not
dance with any other girls, but don t
see that that weakens my statement
You cannot judge much of the way a
man dances by merely looking at his
heels or watching the way he handles
his partner.
know most of them would give their
ears now to say that they had danced
with him. They don't say SO, of course
They say they'd never have danced with
man to whom they had never been in
troduced.
My fascinating partner and I never
were formally introduced. The thing
was quite simple, and daresay the
trick has been played thousands of times
before. Ask you own brother, on his
honor, if he is innocent of it.
The assembly ball was a gathering of
no particular clique or set. 1t was a
room full Of people who were in great
measure strangers to one another.
With this last assembly was feeling
at first more than usually out of tune,
because, although I had been standing
by mamma a good ten minutes, had up
till then only ten names scrawled down
on my programme, and had no others
in view.
So when a man came up from behind,
bowed, addressed me by name and asked
for dance I felt distinctly glad to see
him. He was rather tall, dark, with
black eyes, black mustache and good
teeth, and, for anything I knew, his
name might have been Adam.
couldn't do less than bow slightly
and conclude that had been introduced
to him one of the previous years. also
saw fit to give him waltz "No ~
which he asked for.
''And would you take compassion on
me and give me another?" said he. u
know so few people here this year-at
least so few that care to dance with.
Awfully obliged %
l suppose the compliment was trifie
broad, but it tickled me at the time, and
1 gave him the dance next after supper.
"By the way" said he, "are you en-
gagged for the first extra?' 1 suppose
they have such a thing?"
From that very first moment I told
myself Twas in luck s way. At the first
sweep of the waltz knew it, BY the
time we made the first round of the
floor l felt that 1 could have danced OIL
with that partner forever.
We danced the dance through to its
very last lingering bar, and / said to my
fascinating partner-a thing which
very rarely allow myself to say to any
man after a waltz, lest it should make
him unduly conceited-I said, "Thanl
you. "
"Thank you very much" replied he.
81 don't think I ever had such de
licious dance before. Conld you give me
another"
"You have two others already"
suggested.
So gave him the supper dance whe1
he asked for it, and the extras after
and the polka before.
He left me then, and for the mos
part he stood with his back against {
pillar, his hands i'll his pockets and {
very bored expression ON his dark, hand
some face.
must confess that we had the fourth
together-another waltz Those tire
some men either wouldn't dance o.
didn't know me, and l saw visions o.
sitting it out in single blessedness, when
my fascinating partner came mp ant
saved the situation.
"Would again take compassion OF
him? Might he? Thanks, so much. -
Soon afterward he took me up stairs
and laughed and showed me q snug lit
tie sitting room, which even l had no.
known of before. He said it belonged te
the manager or some one and was no
supposed to be used.
"You seem to know the place pretty
WE'LL" said, with the idea of trying t.
find out who he was, because still
couldn' remember having ever met hin
before.
81 think may say know every Incl
of it. "
"Do you live somewhere near here
then? I.-er-I forget. "
"Not SO fortunate, I'm afraid. The
fact is, I'm cockney. ran down hert
on purpose for the dance, D'you know, )
he continued, laughing, sits an awfu-
jar to my feelings to discover such {
thing, but l can see you don't recollecl
me one little bit"
'It's awfully rude of me, know
but, you see, come across so many new
faces that
insignificant items are forgotten
Precisely. Well. / shall keen nm the in