Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1903-01-23

"Thonk you Tom

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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 a lily on King Charles neck.
"YOu are beginning to care a little bit
more for me, aren't you?" he said, drop
ping his voice.
The color stole to June's cheek, and an
Uneasy sensation to her heart.
"Good-by," she said, 81 must be going
in"
Tom rode away with a 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 r%ector's b%rougham
driving up to the Hall, the gladdest, mer-
REST, 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, l
would give you such a hug. Ton 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
n polished oak floor of CLASSY ~smoothness.
Already there is a squeak of a 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 a waltz, won't your"
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 second?"
And she assented.
"Ah, my dear old chap" said Dallas,
laying a friendly hand on Toms arm, II
haye 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. June's
partner this time was the son Of a neigh
boring rector. He was q 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 a lover of dancing as June
- - Ill, - &La-. xx,,tIA,,k aIp,trn
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 dowu
into his partners eyes and whispered
something; she answered him in kind
June felt a sudden spasm of anger fiji
through her heart; she told herself that /,
was due to a sense Of outraged propriety
Exquisitely as Dallas danced, she decid
ed with a sudden impulse that she did MOI
want to dance with him. He was no
nice; she would rather not dance, talk
or have anything else to do with him.
Tom came to her when the waltz wa,
over; the %rector's son made way for him
"Tom,' she whispered, take me int
/ the conservatory. ! want to get anothel
flower. These are crushed"
"All right, COM along" said Tom, Civ
ing her his arm.
He gathered her a rich cluster Of Grim
son geraniums, and she fastened it in he
dress.
"How are you enjoying yourself?" h
asked, and June replied:
. Immensely"
"You are going to dance the mex will
/, Dali" he said. II shall come and have
look at you. l hear the music beginning.
81 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 agaii
that smile lowered in his eyes and mouth
"Would you rather dance another on
/, instead of thisT" he said, and June an
swered coldly, putting her hand on hi
arm:
3 "No; l think this is ours"
"Was l wrong to come for your h
, whispered as they passed out Of the cor
{ servatory, and she replied, more coldl
still:
. Certainly not"
A minute later his arm Is round her. ]
, Il possible that erewhile she was angr
with him? Now one soul seems to an
g mate them; together they fulfill the pei
feet poetry of motion; never In her eigi
\ teen summers has June been conscious
such ecstasy as this.
When Al last they pause, he looks dow
at her with a glance which she no longe
resents.
"Was not that perfect?" he whispers.
She answers him by a look.
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