Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-22
dances where the participants fell to

where the participants fell 10
the ground too weak to rise.
II put my right hand in" called out
one of the fellows. Cries of "0h, yes,
that's, it," came from the company,
and they arranged themselves in two
rows, facing each other and running
the length OF the long room. They
in couples, as they came to the
party. Abner played the melody on
his violin, and the fellows and girls
sang these words:
II put my right hand in,
l put my right hand out,
/ give my right hand a shake, shake,
shake,
And l turn myself about"
AS they sang the last line they did
turn themselves about so many times
that it seemed a wonder to Quincy.
who was an amused spectator, how
they kept upon their feet.
Seeing that n of the young ladies
in the line was without a partner ,Quin-
cy took his place beside her and joined
in the merriment as heartily as the
rest. Then followed all the changes
of II put my left hand in" Il put my
right foot in" ~ put my left foot in"
and SO on until the whole party was
nearly as much exhausted as Hiram
and Mandy had been.
ut this moment the door leading to
TIE parlor opened and Deacon Mason
entered, accompanied by his wife.
They were greeted with shouts of
laughter. Quincy looked at them with
establishment, and had it. not been for
their familiar faces, which they had
not tried to disguise, he would not have
recognized them.
Out of compliment to their guests,
the Deacon and his wife had gone back
to the days of their youth. Probably
from ONE old chest in the garnet each
had resurrected a costume of fifty
years before. They advanced into the
room, smiling and bowling to the de-
lighted spectators on either side. They
went directly to Abner, and the latter
bent over to hear what the Deacon
whispered in his ar. The Deacon
then went to Strout and whispered
something to him.
Strout nodded, and turning to the
company said, "As it's now 1880 and
most time for honest folks to be abed
and rogues a runnin', out of compli.
ment to Miss Huldy's grandpa aud
grandma. who have honored us with
their presence this evenin', we will
close these festivities with a good old
fashioned heel and toe Virginia reel.
Let 'er go, Abner, and keep her up till
all the fiddle strings are busted"
Like trained soldiers, they sprang
to their places. Quincy and his part
ner took places neal the end of the
line. He explained to her that he had
never danced a reel, but thought he
could easily learn from seeing the
others, and he told her that when their
turn came she need not fear but that
he would do his part.
The Deacon and his wife led of, and
their performance caused great enthu-
siasm. Sam Hill was not a good dane
er. so he resigned Miss Tilly James to
Professor Strout. Miss James was a
superb dancer, and as Quincy looked
at be- -'s face showed his apprecia-
tio-
~ ner saw the glance, and
look % to him said, Don't you
wish you could dance as we'll as that?"
II wish I could" said Quincy. 81
have no doubt you can," he added,
looking at his partners rosy face.
aWell," said she. "you do the best
you can, and I'll do the same"
Professor Strout and lilly did fine
ly, and their performance gained them
an encore, which they granted. One
by one the couples went under the
arch of extended arms, and one by one
they showed their Terpsichorean agil-
ity on the kitchen floor, over which
Mandy Skinner had thoughtfully sprin-
killed. a handful OF house sand.
At last came the turn of Quincy and
his little partner, whose name was UNI
known to HIM. He observed the grace
with which she went through the
march, and when the dance came he
wished he could have stood still and
watched her. Instead, he entered with
his whole soul into the dance, and at
its conclusion he was %astonished to
hear the burst of applause and cheers
that fell upon his ears.
"Come along!" said his partner, and
taking him by the hand she drew him
back through the arch, and the dance
was repeated.
Three times in succession was this
done in response to enthusiastic ap-
plause. and Quincy was beginning to
think that he would SOON fall in his
tracks. He had no idea that any such
ldLC WOulu UCldll Lis pdA IucI, lOTsSuS
seemed equal to an indefinite number
of repetitions.
But, as has been said before, to all
good things an end must come at last,
and when the old-fashioned Connecti-
cut clock on the mantelpiece changed
out the midnight hour, as if by magic
a hush came over the company and
the jollities came to an end. Then
followed a rush for capes, and coats,
and jackets, and shawls, and hats.
Then came good-byes and good-nights
and then the girls all kissed Hubby
and her mother, wished them long life
and happiness, while their escorts
stood quietly by thinking of the pleas.
ant homeward trips, and knowing in
their hearts that they should treasure
more the pressure of the hand or the
single goodnight kiss yet to come thar
they did the surprise party kisses that
had been theirs during the evening.
Mrs. Mason and Ezekiel had prepared
Alice for her homeward trip. Quincy
took occasion to seek out his partner
in the reel to say good night, and as
he shook hands with her, he said
would you consider me rude if l ask
ed your name and who taught you tt