The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-12-25
You are q dear,

good Tom"
And June gave him such smile that
it sent ideas to his brain which she was
far from intending it to do. He laid his
big brown hand on her little white one
that lay like lily on King Charles neck.
"You are beginning to care little bit
more for me, aren't your he said, drop
ping his voice.
The color stole to June's cheek, and an
uneasy sensation to her heart.
"Good-by," she said, II must be going
In"
Tom rode away with blithe heart; he
would not have changed places with any
other man on earth. She had not an
swered him, but silence gives consent"
Evening came. Half-past nine saw
June and Madge In the rector's brougham
driving up to the Hall, the gladdest mer-
riest. most excited maidens possible to
behold.
"Oh, you darling, darling June!' cried
Madge, "if It were not for spelling your
frock and your flowers and mine too,
would give you such 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 at 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 squeak of 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 waltz, won't you"
he said, persuasively; and June, who was
too happy to be cold or disdainful to any
one tonight, replied that she would be
very happy.
"The secOndT"
And she assented.
"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 dancer
Happy as she was, June felt a slight
sense of vexation at Mr.. Broke's manner.
She wished he would not always look and
speak as though she were Toms prop
erty.
The quadrille was over, the music of
the first waltz had commenced. Junes
partner this time was the son of a neigh
boring rector. He was little rough in
his PAGES, but 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-
erston had the floor to themselves. Ev-
eryone was watching them. Their move
ments were the perfection of ease and
grace; such lover of dancing as June
could not look at them without admira-
ton, even though 1t occurred to her that
there was rather more abandon In Mrs.
Fetherston's style than was quite decor
Gus. They stopped. Dallas looked down
into his partners eyes and whispered
something; she answered him In kind.
June felt a sudden spasm of anger fit
through her heart; she told herself that it
was due to a sense of outraged propriety.
Exquisitely as Dallas danced, she decid-
ed with a sudden impulse that she did not
want to dance with him. He was not
NICE she would rather not dance, talk,
or have anything else to do with him.
Tom came to her when the waltz was
over; the rector's son made way for him.
''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.
How are you enjoying yourself?" he
asked, and June replied:
Immensely"
You are going to dance the next with
Dali" he said. Il shall come and have a
look at you. / hear the music beginning"
Il 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?" he said, and June an
swered coldly, putting her hand ON his
arm:
mo: think this is ours"
"Was | wrong to come for your" he
whispered as they passed out of the con-
servatory, and she replied, more coldly
still:
Certainly not"
A minute later his arm is round her. Is
1t 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 summers has June been conscious of
such ecstasy as this.
When at last they pause, he looks down
at her with a glance which she no longer
resents.
"Was not that perfectT" he whispers.
She answers him by a look.
Let us go on. 1t is sin TO lose mo-