Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-08-23

field There were burrows and piles upon
those lighted places, heaps of sticks CT
sheavCs or bundles of weeds for burning
species and sort became lost in that garish
glitter and everything was jagged light
and jagged shadow. Again themusic rose.
Slater and James and the other man de-
seconded by winding path that felt dusty
and smclled hlthy. The night was hot,
and in this squalid place it seemed if pos
siblc even hotter. When they came to the
bottom, they followed the piping quite
naturally down crooked lane and the
turn brought them suddenly into Il small
throng Of folk, standing in front of two
storied house, upon whose whitcwashed
front and stuffed panCs the moon struck
full and glaring Tho lower part was u
cellarlikC sort of place, lighted with all
lengths of candle ends, stuck in bottles
and on spikes. Some person inside seemed
to be out of breath with much blowing Of
the pipe. Every now and then the instru-
mont gave a cultural gurgle, and there
was little stoppago while the player
wiped his mouth and perhaps took sip
of something, the conCcrtina still ambling
along with two chord accompaniment
until the Pipe joined it again. Slater and
James and the other man showed forward
through the tight knot and looked into tho
room with eyes of curiosity, like the others.
This is what they saw:
Benches and few casks turned on end,
onions and green rubbish hcapCd and
pushed away into corners, cleared space
in tho middle and large comedy girl
dancing IA wild tarantClla barefoot to the
playing of a couple of men, while Il short,
squat bag beat the earth with her boots to
incitc the dancer, as friends will run be-
side one in long race. The girls bush of
black hair was fast coming undonC she
pressed it with her hands as if to push it
together and down it rolled over her
swarthy shoulders and breast, a cloudy
mass, flying up and down, winding about
her arms, soT "timcs nearly brushing the
floor as she bent and bounded and whirled
After viii . of this she suddenly drop
ped her arms to her sides, her head sank
back and rocked over one shoulder, her
bosom shook like an uncertain sail tapping
in the breeze. She cast languorous, half
fainting glance around. Instantly the pipe
stopped, leaving the concertina ambling
on with the accompaniment, and ere the
ldlA COulu tthC JlttCC d SlllIC DullJ young
fellow in striped trousers leapcd forward
and caught her round the waist, gripping
her tight with one arm and holding in his
other hand a bottle. Some words he said
in her ear, alternately caressing and
threatening it seemed, while she lay quite
limp against him, her head on his shout
der, her hair hanging over him like a
black mantle, her eyes gazing into his
with lusterlcss, dazcd expression, her
full lips parted as one who dreams heavily.
He put the bottle to her mouth, and she
took little passivcly, rs child might.
Then light came into her dull look, she
raised q hand, took hold of the bottle for
herself, drank long and deeply with greedy
eagerncss, and her feet twitched with the
fresh pulse Of the dance that was arising
in them. She now struggled little in the
arm that held her, and when the man re-
Taxed her gradually and returned to his
place she put her hands to her head and
stopped as if in thought, with her hair
hanging still.
Then out shrilled the pipe notes, and in
stantly she flung her head back and sent
her hair round her in great waves, pressed
her hands over her bosom, that swelled as
If to burst her bodice, gripped hold of tho
earth floor with her toes and bounded
high, like a young panther, setting her
teeth and breathing hard-thcn down