The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-29
A GOOD DANCER.

The men tell me that am pretty
good dancer myself, which may or mny
not be the case.
This, however. I will own up to,
whether it is Boosting or not-I do know
whether man is 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 I ever danced
with.
Certainly, rs it turned out, he did not
dance with any other girls, but 1 don t
see that that weakens my statement
You cannot judge much of tho way Il
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 i'll
troduced.
My fascinating partner and 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 gathering of
no particular clique or set 1t was
room full of people who were in great
measure strangers to one another
With this last assembly l was feeling
mt first more than usually out of tune,
because, although l had been standing
by mamma good ten minutes, 1 had up
till then only ten names scrawled down
on my programme, and had no others
i'll view.
So when man came up from behind,
bowed, addressed me by name and asked
for Il dance I felt distinctly glad to sec
him. He was rather tall, dark, with
black eyes, black mustache and good
teeth, and, for anything 1 knew, his
name might have been Adam.
couldn't do less than bow slightly
and conclude that 1 had been introduced
to him one of the previous years. also
saw fit to give him waltz mo. T."
which he asked for.
And would you take compassion on
me and give me anothcr?" said he. II
know so few people here this year-at
Awfully obliged.
1 suppose the compliment was trifle
broad, but it tickled me ut the time, and
gave him the dance next after supper.
by the way" said he, care you en-
gagged for the first extra:' 1 suppose
they have such thing?'
From that very first moment I told
myself Twas i'll luck's way. At the first
sweep OF the waltz knew it. By the
time wo made the first round of the
floor l felt that could havo danced on
with that partner forever
We danced the dance through to it's
very last lingering bar, and said to my
fascinating partner-a thing which I
very rarely allow myself to say to any
man after waltz, lest it should make
him unduly copceited-I said, Thank
you.
"Thank you very much, replied he
Il don't think / ever had such de-
icious dance before Could you give me
anothery''
lyon have two others already" 1
suggested.
So gave him the supper dance when
he asked for it. and the extras after,
and tho polka before.
He left me then, and for the most
part he stood with his back against q
pillar, his hands i'll his pockets and n
very bored expression on his dark, hand
some face.
must confess that we had the fourth
ogether-anOther waltz Those tire
some men either wouldn't dance or
didn't know me, and / saw visions of
slttingit out in single blessedness, when
my fascinating partner came up and
saved the situation
Would / again take compassion OH
him? Might he? Thanks, so much.''
Soon afterward he took me up stairs
and laughed and showed me a snug lit
tie sitting room, which even I had not
known of before. He said it belonged to
the manager or some one and was not
supposed to be used.
You seem to know tho place pretty
well, )" said, with tho idea of trying to
find out who he was, because still
couldn t remember having ever met him
before.
II think l may say know every inch
of it,
"Do you live somewhere near here
then? I-cr-I forget"
Not SO fortunate, I'm afraid Tho
fact is, I'm cockney. ran down hero
ON purpose for the dance. D'you know"
he continued. laughing, ''its an awful
Jar to my feelings to discover such q