Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-03-06

|
of years, and" began Rossiter.
He had heard the gayeties Of tho
following night talked about among
a number of the younger pickers-
Mamie Becraft was in twitter over
them-but the gossip had meant
nothing to him. He dancel 1t was
| absurd. Not that he lacked skill In
the art. Once he had been consid.
cred the most accomplished, o 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 hop-harvest.
"You haven't completed your gen.
tence," said Miss Merton. "rhaA
and does not mean because you
haven't danced in some time you
won't dance now. I hope"
The pole-puller glanced down al
his clumsy shoes and at his attire.
people don't wear their Anery a
hop-dancea," said Miss Merton.
And yet Rossiter would not prom.
Use. 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
ing, but without avail.
I'm too rusty" Rossiter plead as
an excuse. II should be treading on
everyone's toes!"
1t CHANGED 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 set by our
selves. There are three men and two
girls coming from Hlntonville, and
Jack CHATS Mr.. Parmelee, you
know 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 would2"
This put the matter in quite a dif-
ferent light.
II will do what 1 can," said Ros-
sitter, simply. II 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 We're not on the
floor. Before eight o'clock the music,
two fiddlers and . celloist, arrived,
and soon the pickers from two or
three .ssdiacent 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 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.
SWANS 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 extraordinary
as it was varied. Bright colors pre-
dominated, and not 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 Enthusiastically 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 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. Albanian
to your partnersl" And with what
magnificent flourish came the
close!
There were no waltzes or galops,
but the lancers followed the Vir-
ginia reel, and the money-musk the
quadrille. By and by, when there
was lull in the music, Jack Parme-
lee sought Rossiter, and presently
the xvhilou vaoahond found bimso1f