Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-08

a number of the younger pickers- Mamie Becraft was in a twitter ovet them-but the gossip had meant nothing to him. He dancel It was absurd. Not that he lacked skill in the art. Once he had been consid- cred the most accomplished, a part ner who was welcomed by all whom he sought, but that was in another existence. He was surprised that Miss Merton and her cousin proposed joining in the free-and-easy rollick- ings of the hop-dance, but evidently the two girls were bent on lark, and Miriam was doubtless eager to show Miss Densmore all the phases of the hoy-harvest.
 "You haven't completed your sen- tence," said Miss Merton. That and does not mean because you haven't danced in some time you won't dance now, I hope"
 The pole-puller glanced down at his clumsy shoes and at his attire.
 People don't wear their fnery at hop-dances," said Miss Merton.
 And yet Rossiter would not prom Ise. Much as he knew the pleasure would be to him, this more intimate and friendly association with the two cousins, he had feeling that their gratitude prompted them to urge him, and, moreover, he shrank from meeting, in his coarse garb, Miss Mer- tons Hintonville friends. The girls renewed their attack the next morn ing, but without avail.
 I'm too rusty" Rossiter plead as an excuse. "I should be treading on everyone's toes!"
 It chanced that afternoon that Miss Merton had left the yard for few moments, and Miss Densmore was picking alone. Rossiter was passing, and she called to him.
 "My cousin is sadly put out" she said, because you are so obstinate. She is very anxious, as you must have seen, to arrange a set by our selves. There are three men and two girls coming from Hintonville, and Jack Chats MT. Parmelee, you knowl can't dance all the time, for he's got everything to look after. Don't you realize how much you could help out if you only would?"
 This put the matter in quite diff ferent light.
 q will do what I can,'' said Ros- sitter, simply. T didn't quite under stand"
 Thank you" and her smile car ried more real joy to him than any thing he had experienced, it seemed to him, since he could recall
 Evening came, and all preparations for the gayeties had been made. The floor of the large hop-house had been cleared and the room lighted with lamps and lanterns. About the walls festoons of hops had been hung, a small platform erected for the musi- clans, and seats placed for the dancers when they were not on the floor. Before eight o'clock the music, two fddlers and celloist, arrived, and soon the pickers from two or three adjacent farms drove up in large hop-wagons. Then shortly Miss Merton's little party from Hinton vile appeared, and by half-past eight the dancing was in full swing.
 Rossiter did not join in the merri- ment at the outset but stood in the background near the door watching, with not a little amusement, the an- tics of some of the rustics. Several men would occasionally launch into sort of breakdown, and the sound of their energetic efforts, usually in excellent time, would be heard above the combined shuttle of all other feet and the rise and dip of the music. Swains grasped the waists of their dulcineas, as they swung partners" and whirled them with gay abandon. Though the attire of the men was commonplace in the extreme, that of the women was as extra ordinary as 1t was varied. Bright colors pre- dominated, and not a few of the combinations would have been likely to afflict the artists eye with an acute optical disturbance.
 The leader of the orchestra, if it be permissible thus to dignity the music, especially entertained Rossi-. ter. His black hair and whiskers had evidently been elaborated for the occasion, and shone with a lus- ter which was unnlistakably oily. He handled his bow with an exagger- ated ease and called the changes with delicious gusto. One particular change in the quadrille appeared to be great favorite with him, and he always preluded it with grand sweep across the violin strings. His voice gathered more than common animation, and he broke into some thing like Q tune:
 
 First lady balance to the right hand gent, with the right-hand round, the right-hand round, the right-hand round; balance to the next with the left-hand round; lady in the center and seven hands round. A-la-main to your partners!" And with what & magnificent flourish came the closet
 There were no waltzes or galops, but the 1ancers followed the Vir- ginia reel, and the money-musk the quadrille. By and by, when there was Hull in the music, Jack Parme- lee sought Rossiter, and presently the whilom vagagoond found himself chatting to uIeasant-faced maiden