Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-01-11
a Dancing
Girl
BY Martha McCulloch-W Williams
Copyright. 1905, BIZ P. {. Eastment


ped, signing. She was so little used to
having her wishes come true.
/ Miranda loved color and light and
music. Somewhere in her pedigree
there must have been q strain Of trop
ic blood, else how account for her de
sires any more than for her silky black
hair her liquid black eyes, her fine
olive skin touched with scarlet? Her
dancing as well was wholly untaught,
untimed save by the sweep Of the
wind, the lulling patter Of raindrops
on the cottage roof she danced only
when she thought herself alone Her
grandfather, the minister, thought
dancing Of any sort a deadly sin.
He had a heart kind and true, this
bent, white haired old gentleman, and
truly loved his one grandchild. 1t was
his creed, not himself, which forced
him to deny her the things her youth
craved. He did not understand her
any more than he had understood his
wife, her grandmother, who had died.
leaving behind baby girl that grew
up the feminine counterpart of its fa-
Their
1t was a queer, piteous jest of fate
that gave her, woman born for the
missionary cause, such a p.ecc Of quick
silver as Miranda for daugaser. How
the girl came by the quicksilver except
through the grandmother was a puzzle
of heredity. Her father was mission
airy, meek in all things except regard
ing his chosen work There he had a
lions heart, a Spartan's endurance
Thus Miranda had been left behind
when her parents went to the far east
That was ten years back so long ago
they were little more to her now than
memories.
Miranda picked up her mothers lat
est letter. The paper was thin, the
writing fine and grabbed, but she was
able to read an account of the dancing
girls in one of the heather temples
After the third reading she shut her
eyes. Her mother had dwelt feelingly
upon the horror, the impiety of it all,
but somehow there had crept between
the lines enough of the east to bewitch
the reader She seemed to see it all
the crowd, the lights, the wreaths of
smoking incense, the figures swaying
in time and tune. And as she thus saw
mentally there came to her longing
not to be resisted to dance, dance,
dance, the night away.
1t was evening Her grandfather
was away at a special service in his
mission chapel. She had been LETT be
hind to finish some slight household
tasks. Half mile down the street
the Brixton fancy ball was in full
blast She had card to it--one she
had not dared to display. Now, insane
ly, she made up her mind to go-not-
withstanding her formal regrets. She
would not go as Miranda Acton rather
as a dancing girl from world I'M
known.
Her mother had sent home com
plete outfit to be sold at the Twelfth
Night st. Barnabas fair. With shaking
hands she huddled herself into it, then
looked at herself in the glass. The eff
feet startled her, but it convinced her
there must be further disguise. She
caught up her water colors, gave her
self dusky complexion, carmine
cheeks and heavy black lashes. She
stained her arms, her ankles, her bare
throat
By the time it was done the clock
was striking 10. In half an hour her
grandfather would be home. For a
minute she hesitated, then, almost be-
fore she knew it, she had goloshes over
her sandals, and, well wrapped in her
long macintosh, was out in the street.
Presently she found herself in the
Brixtons' library. She had crushed
through a great multitude Of figures
nearly as much atlt Of the common as
her own. She remembered, too having
dropped frightened courtesy to state
" Nine. Brixton, who had stared at
her, then smiled kindly welcome, and
let her slip away in the crowd.
The band was playing. In the room
beyond all sorts and conditions Of folks
whirled madly about. Miranda glanc-
ed at them and shrank back. They
were dancing two and twoshe could
only dance alone and dance she must.
The stealing music said SO beyond per
adventure. The library was empty.
Half unconsciously she began to foot
it over the polished floor weaving BACK
and forth, bending, swaying balancing
upon one foot, arms up, arms down or
extended as though in entreaty.
On, on, on, she bent and swayed, now
stamping one tiny foot, now pirouetting
with untaught grace, unconscious that
two pairs Of eyes watched her from the
ambush Of heavy curtains swung across
deep window seat. They were mas
culine eyes Tom Brixton and his city
friend, just back from globe trotting,
had found harbor there They gazed
spe;lbound at Miranda, then br eathless-
" at each other.
tsT+ IL a ,,a;ra s,io y Tam xxrhi essorad ut