The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-12

/
ed by the stranger. The sight of his
attentions to the other aroused Molly
a bright red spot burned in elther
cheek. She was all animation. Her
laughter rang true, her eyes flashed
with merriment. For every one she had
a joke. a half-tender, f-sympathetic
aside. She saw that as long as they
were in her actual presence the men
were wholly hers. And yet she felt too
the subtle growth of this other wom-
ans influence. and realized that event.
ually it would beat her down. In spite
of her brave appearance her throat
choked her. Only by a great concentra-
ton of the will could she prevent her
self from lapsing into silence, and then
into tears AS the strain began to tell
on her nerves. the old feeling of un-
movable guilt came to Cypress her
heart and with it a growing longing to
get away 20 hide somewhere; to begin
all over again humbly below the low
est; to claim nothing, to attempt moth
/ ing, to do nothing in opposition to that
accusing Thought which seemed great
er than herself. All at once she was
tired of struggling She was ready to
| give up this life, if only they would
let her feel like something besides a
breathless naughty child, fearfully ex-
| pecting every moment the grave re-
proving voice of the Master.
She chided herself for this. 1t was
not game. Pluck she admired above
everything; and yet here she was,
ready to run away at the first taste of
defeat She smiled ravishingly on Dave
Kelly, until he began to speculate on
the possibility of repeating that deli
cious experience which Peter had so in
! opportunely cut short.
AS the evening progressed, the forty
rod" began to show its effects. Will
| liamS had to have the full width of
the floor whenever he tried to walk,
| and his enthusiastic limitations of an
! angry catamount were most creditable.
Some one was always disgustedly re-
pressing him. Several others were in
like condition with different symptoms.
| The soberest manifested increased Wig
or of limb and fertility of imagination.
| A happy combination of these two eff
fects brought about the proposal of
turkey walk A ring was formed on the
| instant.
Into the ring two men. chosen viva
voce, were pushed. They began at once
to strut back and forth like turkey
cocks in the spring. They followed
their backs in, stuck their chests and
rumps out, slapped their thighs toed
in, puffed their cheeks, ducked their
heads, uttered sundry gurgling whoops,
| and hoped about, first on one foot,
then on the other in a charmingly i'm
partial imitation of a Southern cake
walk and Sioux Indian war dance.
These performances tickled the crowd
immensely. When it came to noisy vote
| on the relative merits of the perform
ers, it vociferously shouted unanimous
approval of all. Therefore the contest
was pronounced a tie. At this moment
| Dave Williams staggered forward. His
muddled brain had room for only the
] l.
| and his drunken shrewdness had re-
tanned cognizance of the evenings riv-
airy. He mixed the two ideas up to eff
feet a proposal.
"Hyar," he shouted, flesh do this RI!
/ secon' Bismarck Anne!" He let out
wildcat yell-"Whe-ee!! Two t. one on
Annel"
Some one hit him on the chest and
| sent him staggering backward. He
gyrated unevenly toward the corner,
stumbled over his own feet, and sat
down heavily on the floor, where after
feeling vainly for his gun he relapsed
into good humor. But his suggestion
hit the popular fancy.
| The idea ran like fire. In a second
the ring was formed again. Those in
front knelt those behind looked over
their shoulders. Even Frosty and Black
Mike deserted the bar and stood lea
ing in the doorway. The girls were urg-
| ed forward into the ring, which closed
after them, and the music was ordered
! to proceed.
Bismarck Anne walked calmly into
the circle and stood looking about her.
Molly had an instant of doubt. Then a
revulsion against her easy surrender
got her to her feet and into the ring.
The gauntlet was down. She would ac-
cept the challenge. 1t was a duel.
There was moments squabble be-
| tween two self-appointed officials in re-
gard to precedence. 1t was settled, and
Molly was beckoned to begin. The fid-
dies started up a squeaky, lively air
to which the men kept time with hands
and feet. The young girl, her cheeks
burning, stepped into the center of the
ring and struck the first graceful pose
of the cachucha, learned years before
at the Agency from a little Mexican
serving-maid. The men recognized it In
a swift quickly silenced burst. The fid-
dies changed their measure to suit the
dance.
The cachucha is a beautiful dance
when rightly done 1t is a combination
of airy half-steps, sinuous body move
ments, and slow dangerous and grace
full weavings of the arms. 1t has in
1t all the enchantment of the South
There is not an abrupt movement in it.
but one pose melts into another as i'm
perceptibly as night into day. Molly
did it well. Her supple figure was suit
ed to it, and the very refinement of her
actions enhanced the charm of the
dance. The men applauded vehemently
when she stopped. The other woman
laughed aloud in scorn.
With a final sweeping curtsy the
dancer turned to go. The flush of
triumph and excitement burned on hel
cheeks and in her eyes. Finding the
ring solidly closed so that exit was i'm
possible, she accepted a seat on the
knee of one of those in the front rank.
The man put his arms around her and
drew her close in a drunken embrace
which the girl only half noticed.
| Bismarck Anne sprang to the center
of the ring at one bound, the sheer still
on her lips. She turned abruptly to the
musicians.
Quit that damn stuff" she snarled.
PLAY somethin'!"
The musicians hurriedly swung into
a lively air.
Bismarck Anne's dance was not es-
pecially gra ceful. 1t consisted mainly
of high kicks and d certain athletic
feat known as the split But it was
magnificent in its abandon, and fierce
in the crude. animal energy of it. Be
sides its mere suggestiveness and an
peal to the passions. it had too a
swing, fire, brute-like force which
could not but hit to the hearts of men
at bottom strong, crude, and savage
They went crazy. They shouted encolIr-
aging things at her with open strain
ing threats. They stamped and cheer
| ed until the LIGHTS yra Narad nh. -,