Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-03-18

other man on earth. She had not an
swcred him, but '%'silcnce gives consent"
Evening came. Half-past nine saw
June and Madgc in the %rcctor's brougham
driving up to the Hall, the gladdest, mer-
REST, most excited maidcns possible to
behold.
ooh, you darling, darling Junc!" cried
Madgc, "if it We're not for spelling your
frock and your flowers and mine too, l
would give you such n hug. Tom told me
it was all your doing. Agnes did all she
could to prevent my going, but Tom got
hold of mamma on the quiet and made
her promise"
Tom is waiting Mt the door to receive
them. Dancing is to take place in the
hall, which is lofty and spacious and has
a polished oak floor of CLASSY smoothness.
Already there is n squeak of n fiddle get
ting into tune, and the two girls hearts
throb responsive.
AS June was standing beside Tom,
flushed and lovely with excitement, Dali
las Broke came up to her.
"You will give me Il waltz, won't you?"
he said, persuasively; md June, who was
too happy to be cold or disdainful to any
one tonight, replied that she would be
very happy.
"The secOnd!'
And she assentcd.
"Ah, my dear old chap" said Dallas,
laying a friendly hand on TOMS arm, II
have one pull over you. Miss Rivers, why
don't you make him learn to dance!"
Happy as she was. June felt Il slight
sense of vcNation at Mr.. Broke's manner.
She wished he would not always look and
speak as though she were TOMS prop
erty.
The quadrillc was Over, the music of
the first waltz had commenced. ,June's
partner this time was the sonAof a'neigh-
boring rector. He was Il little rough in
his PAGES. nut June had an extraordinary
facility for adapting herself to almost any
| step and any partner. When they. made
their first pause, Dallas and Mrs. Feth-
crston had the floor to themselves. Ev-
eryonc vas watching them. Their move
mcnts We're the perfection of ease and
grace; such a lover of dancing as June
could not look at them without admira-
ton. even though it occurred to her that
there was rather more abandon in Mrs.
Fcthcrston's style than was quite, decor
Gus. They stopped. Dallas looked down
into his partners eyes and, whispered
Nv saliSNNhNu Alllk Ia luu
June felt Il sudden spasm of anger fit
through her heart: she told herself that it
was due to Il sense of outraged propriety,
EXluisitcly as Dallas danced, she decil-
ed with a sudden impulse that she did not
nice; she would rather not dance, talk,
or have anything else to do with him.
Tom came to her when the waltz was
o,,,., H., ,,,<,,,e .or ,,r.1, ..... g.. If
''Tom," she whispered. take ME into
the conservatory. l want to get another
flower. These are crushed"
".All right, come along,'' said Tom, Civ
ing her his arm.
He gathered her a rich cluster of Grim
son geraniums, and she fastened it in her
dress.
GLOW are YOU enjoying yourself?" he
asked. and June replied:
''lmmenscly.'
'You are going to dance the next with
DIAL" he said. II shall come and have a
look at you. I hear the music beginning.
II don't particularly care about dancing
with Mr.. Broke" uttered June, lettering.
At this moment he came to look for her.
! Seeing Tom, he half paused, and again
that smile lowered in his eyes and mouth.
would You rather dance another one
instead of this!' lie said, and June an
swcred coldly, putting her hand on his
arm:
NO: l think this is ours"
'NNas l wrong to come for you?" ho
whispered as they passed out of the con-
%scrvatory, and She replied, more coldlv
still:
Certainly not"
A minute later his arm is round her. Is
it possible that erewhile she was angry
with him? Now one soul seems to ami
mate them; together they fulfill the per.
feet poetry of motion; never in her eigh.
teen summer has June been conscious of
such ecstasy as this.
When at last they pause, he looks down
at her with Il glance which she no longer
rcsentS.
WAS not that perfect?' he whispers.
She answers him by a look.
Let us go OH. 1t is a sin to lose a mo-
ment of this!" Dallas says, and again they
tloat along the polished floor.
Alas! alas! it is over! the piano has
banged the final chord: perforce they
stop.
Mrs. Rivers was sitting up for her dar.
ling. anxious to hear all the events of
the evening, and, as June made her re-
cital. a sudden consciousness came to the
girl that. instead of pouring all her heart
out to her mother as was her wont. she
was talking almost as %insinccrely as
though she had been speaking to a strarg.
er. 1t was Il relief to her when her story
was finished and she had kissed her moth.
er fondly and hidden her goodnight. The
maid who acted as parlor maid, house
maid and lady's maid at the Rose Cottage
unfastened her dress and fingered II little
deeply interested in the doings Mt the
Hall.
When at last she went, June stood i'm.
movable for n moment. Then she flung
herself down by her bedside and cried IL.
IL her heart would break.
CHAPTER vi.