The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-01-13

+
the beautiful thought that Miss Dorothy
would be sick, that she had missed her
train-but mol there she was, with her
shiny high-heeled slippers, her pink
skirt thai pulled out like a fan, ana
her silver whistle on a chain. The lit
tie clicking castanets that rang out SO
sharply We're in her hand beyond a
doubt.
Ready, children. Spread out. Take
your lines. First position. Now!
The lame man at the piano, who al
ways looked half asleep, Numbered out
the first bars Of the latest waltz, and
the business began.
Their eyes were fixed solemnly on Miss
Dorothy's pointed shoes. they slipped
and slid and crossed their legs and
arched their pudgy insteps; the boys
breathed hard over their cleaning col
lars. On the right side Of the hall thirty
hands held out their diminutive skirts at
an alluring angle. On the left neat black
legs battered diligently through mystic
evolutions.
The chords rolled out slower, with dra-
matte pauses betWeen; sharp clicks or
the ~castanets rang through the hall; a
line of toes rose gradually toward the
horizontal. whirled more or less steadl-
ly about. crossed behind, bent low, bow
ed. and with q fiutter of skirts resumed
the first position.
A little breeze Of laughing admiration
circled the row of motheII and aunts.
Isn't that too cunning. Just like a
little ballet, Aren't they graceful, really,
noW,'
The whistle shrilled.
Ready for the two-step, children."
A mild tolerance grew on Richard. If
dancing must be, better the two-step
than anything else. Any one with a
firm intention of keeping the time and q
strong arm can drag a girl through it
very acceptably. 1t was Dickey's custom
to hurt himself at the colOred bunch
nearest him, seize a Sabine, SO to speak,
and plunge into the dance. He had his
eye on Louise Hetherington, a large,
plump girl, with a tremendous braid Of
hair. She was a size too big for the
class, but everybody liked to dance with
her, for she knew how, and piloted her
diminutive partners with great skill. But
she had been snapped up by the six-year-
old Harold, and was even now guiding
his infant steps around the hall.
Dickey skirted the row of mothers and
aunts cautiously. Heaven send Miss
Dorothy was not looking at him. She
seemed to have eyes in the back of her
head, that woman!
"Oh, look. Did you ever see anything
so sweet?" said somebody. Involuntary
he turned. There in a corner, all by
herself, a little girl was, gravely per-
forming a dance. He stared at her Gu
rlously. For the first time, free from
all personal connection with them, he
discovered that those motions were pref
ty.
She was ethereally slender, brown eyed
brown haired, brown skinned. A little
fluffy white dress spread fan-shaped
above her knees; her ankles were bird
like. The foot on which she poised seem
ed hardly to reach the ground; the other,
pointed outward, lowered easily-now
here, now there. Her eyes were serious,
her little hand held out her skirt, the
other marked the time.
Dlckey advanced and bowed jerkily,
grasped one Of the loops of her sash in
the back, stamped a moment to get the
time, and the artist sank into the partner.
Don't they do it we'll, though! See
those little things near the door," he
caught as they went by, and his heart
sWelled with pride.
Whats your name?" he asked abruptly
after the dance.
"Ihethclia," she lisped, and shook her
hair over her cheek. She was verv shv.
Mines Richard Carr Pendleton. NV
fathers a lawyer. What's %yours?"
II don't know!' she gasped, OBJ
viously considering flight.
He chuckled delightedly. Was ever
such engaging idiocy: She didn't know.
Well, Well!
"Pooh'' he said grandly. Il guess you
know. Don't you, really?"
She looked hopelessly at her fan and
shook her head. Suddenly a light dawned
in her big eyes.
Maybe J know" she muir II
gueth l know it. He-he'th a really
thate!''
"A really state? That isn't anything
nothing at all. A really state?'' he
froWned at her judically. Her lip quiv-
cred. She turned and ran away.
Here, come back" he called, but she
was gone.
When at length Miss Dorothy an
nounced That will do for today they
surged into the dressing rooms, to be
buttoned up and pulled out of draughths
and trudedl home.
She was swathed carefully in a wadded
silk jacket and then enveloped in a
hooded Mother Hubbard cloak. She
looked like an angelic brownie. Dicky
ran up to her as a woman led her out
to a coupe at the curb and tugged at the
ribbon of her cloak.
Where do you live? Say, where do
your he demanded.
her hair was under the hood, but she
hid her face behind the woman.
II don't know she said softly. The
woman laughed.
why, yes. You do, Cissy," she re-
proved. Tell him directly, now"
she put one tiny finger in her mouth.
II gueth 1 live on Chestnut thtreet.'
Size called as the door slammed and shut
her in.
His sister amicably offered him half
the plush bag to carry, and opened a
running criticism Of the afternoon.
What made you dance all the time
with Cissy Weston? She's an awful baby
"a regular 'fraid cat. We girls tease her
just as easy. Do you like herr"
shes the prettiest one there." he
said.
HIS sister stared at him.
Why, Dick Pendleton! She is not,
She's so little-she's not half so pretty