Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-11-13

SHE WAS wILLowLIKE AND SUPPLE
of the fifty or more couples on the floor
ten of the best would be selected for
the final competition for the prize.
This was done. Those who had de-
pended upon their appearance rather
than on their nimbleness of toe We're
promptly dropped out of the running.
Then commenced the chasseZing Of
the ten. Jasper's pride threatened to
escape the confines of his high white
collar and burst the button thereof
when among these favored ones he
discerned the rapturous parasol Of
Maggie Malone. Again she came tip
toeing slowly around the curve, this
time very elegant in movement some
what resembling that of the minuet.
Bowling low in the elaborate courtesy
of danes of long ago, she challenged
the gallery.
1t shouted itself hoarse.
Shrieks of applause ascended roof
ward, whereupon, not to be Outdone,
Frog Eyed Pete turned himself wrong
side out and all but stood ON his head
with his feet in the atmosphere.
Gazing gloomily upon this excess of
effort, Jasper Jefferson Jones black
lips compressed themselves into a grim
line of disapproval which happily for
Frog Eyed Pete was all lost on him.
His glance left the offender and rest
ed on Maggie Malone, who just then
skirted the curve nearest him, her
cream colored countenance turned
gravely upward. He leaned breathless-
ly forward, hoping for look of recog.
milton, but none came. Accompanied
by a ringing e, no Of cheers, She danced
on and on, wilowlke and supple as a
nymph, and disappeared.
Her disappearance made room for
PickaninDy, who, spinning blithely in
to the arena, went into contOrtiOns of
cake walking bordering upon eXtrava-
ganza.
1t would be easier to describe what
Pickaninny didn't do than what she
did.
The crowd went mad. 1t shrieked
1t stamped. 1t yelled. Calls of NO
81 her number, reverberated, split the
air, broke upon the din like hailstones
ON a roof, and Pickaninny passed.
Though the evolutions of the eight
other couples were we'll worth watch
ing, Jasper failed to watch them. EX-
cept for the alert policemen. formida-
Bile in brass buttoned uniforms, sta
toned here, there and everywhere, he
would have left his place in the gallery
and Jagged hungrly along in the shin
ing wake Of Maggie Malone.
The music halting for the third time,
the manager stood before the foot
lights, facing the cake and the au-
dience.
No 5!' was hurled at him from all
points of the compass, mingled with
some cries of "No. Ar but not many.
Jasper came nearer than he had ever
done before to turning white. "No 81"
Pickaninny's number. And the crowd.
dazed by the glitter of her spangles,
apparently determined to set aside
whatever decision the judges might at
tempt to make and decide for itself.
A lump rising in his throat at the
thought of Pickaninny's triumph and
lis Maggie's defeat threatened to choke
him.
The clarion voice of the manager
broke in on his distress.
"The judges so far have been unable
to arrive at any decision" it said.
"Now, five will be picked from the ten
and these will walk directly in front of
them upon the stage"
The judges employed ten minutes or
so in moving back to make room for
those who were to walk, and Jasper
contrived somehow or other to live
through this interval and on into that
of the appearance Of the first three cou