El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-28

keep U-ItOOEtfJ On u-UOORtn.
tiringly devoted to keeping all the COM
pany in constant motion, and as the
men outnumbered the available partners
as three to one, there was never a wall
flower but Edith herself and little
chance for sociability outside the dances.
The majority of the men were disposed
in groups outside, joking and laughing
as they looked in at doors and windows
waiting their turns. The women, flush
ed and painting, were pressed into con-
tinuous service, while their number
was laughingly eked out by a couple
of cowboys, who, with handkerchiefs
around their arms as a badge of their
assumed Office, smirked and bridled and
minced through their parts, to the end
less delight of all the rest. But Edith
began to feel uncomfortable after a lit
tie, comprehending the meaning of the
anxious chances which were cast upon
her as she sat alone. If these people but
dared, she felt, they would come in a
body and entreat her to dance, simply
to help them out, and when at last Ar
talissa, "a festoon of loosened gathers
slipping from her belt, had run away
for repairs closely followed by a young
mother with babe i'll her arms, the
situation really became SO serious that
Mr.. Dennison was moved to come and
ask, with q deprecatory smile, if Miss
Ellery wouldn { try it once. Even if she
didn't know how right well she need
not mind the kindly gentleman assured
her i'll all good faith; nobody was going
TO criticise, and she would learn it all
fast enough when she once got ON the
floor. Edith blushed in painful embar-
rasSment in disposing of this request,
loath to hurt the feelings of this simple
folk. With true brotherly method Hugh
had unceremoniously left her to her
own devices while he was blithely talk
ing cattle among a coterie outside.
Through an opposite window she could
see Paul Brown standing alone.
All the evening she had been aware
of his eyes upon her from some quarter,
and now she swiftly wondered how
much pleasure it would give him if he
might dance with her here tonight, IN
consciously signing as she reflected how
impossible it was. 1t occurred to her
that she would send him to find her
brother to propose their going home,
but she hesitated to call him to her
across the crowded room, and while she
halted she caught Mr.. Dennison's eye
upon her though meditating new
attack, and the idea spurred her to des-
perate action. From where she sat she
could look into the kitchen, revealing
another open door at the far end leading
out into the night. On the impulse of
the moment she flashed a meaning
glance full into Paul Browns Watching
eyes, a look she felt he could not fail
to understand, and like shot dar.ed
into the safety of the cool, enveloping
darkness.
This side of the house was wholly
deserted, and after going little way
she stopped, half frightened by the lone
illness, her heart beating unanimously.
By that look she had invited Paul
Brown to meet her here. She was fairly
in panic at her own daring, but she
was prepared to make excuse to him, as
we'll as to her own perturbed conscience,
that she wanted to ask him to go and
fetch her brother. Yet even while she
framed the pretext in her mind she
knew perfectly well, and had an irri-
tated sense of shame in the knowing,
that she had simply grasped at this OPP
portunity for word with the man him
SELF Ever since their Sunday interview
indeed she had been watching for the
chance to speak with him, for she had
persuaded herself that it was duty to
urge upon him the course which upon