Mower County transcript., 1908-03-18
grace and beauty how fascinating it
al1 vast Cfo11o hod not hofo,rog o,,oocod

grace and beauty-how fascinating it
all was! Stella had not before guessed
the possibilities of her little world. S.
Deal yer dances fair, Stella" Sally
B. whispered as she sailed by, herself
as popular a. the light-footed Viola.
Where women's skurce, partiality
breeds fights, she added a moment
later, when her partner. seated her
I near Stella. AN look out fur Gid.
He's got up to kill, hain't he? He'll
be Jealous, whether ye give him any
call or no. -,
Stella but halt listened to Sally BIS
< wise advice; her heart was out in the
wild with. Alfred. She danced auto
matically, and forgot the warning be.
cause Gideon was quickest at her el-
bow.
You know no one else can give you
as good dance as I, Stella" he
pleaded almost before another had
seated her, and bore her off in the
face of dozen disappointed ones.
Ten O'clock! Half-past ten! Would
Alfred never come? Mr.. Crocker came
!. down to look on, and Stella wished
desperately, unreasoningly, that he
had gone to bed.. Was he only waiting
for Alfred? Would business chain
| him? But surely Alfred would insist
! on this one night-what little there
! was left of it.
Ten-forty! A scared looking boy
| came In with a note for Sally B.
Stella, watching her as she read, saw
her face grow white, saw her whisper
| to the boy and send him away. And
she noticed that Sally B. danced and
laughed no more.
|! Alfred came at last, painting, red
! spot on his cheek, his lips dry, his
boots rock-scratched and his trousers
red with dust. s..-;z>,>
mo; no supper yet, there isn't
time" he said to Stella as she met and
questioned him in the hail. "Yes, l
walked the nine miles, all that didn't
run" He saw the quick sympathy
leap to her eye, but went on quickly.
Make things ready while I change
and get my breath. You can begin
without me, can't you?" ::
She nodded, flushed at the slook he
sent to her over his shoulder from the
stair and ran in to help Sally B. set
the programme in motion.
It was better than the usual ex-
perience Of amateurs, for Alfred was
practised in such work and had drilled
his mummers carefully. And the on
lockers were SO ready to be pleased
that the flimsy house quaked with fire.
quent applause and rained pine
needles and candle grease impartially
on silk and fustian.
All the evening Stella had looked
forward to the moment when she
might dance with Alfred. During the
programme Gideon had knocked at the
door OF grandma'a ANS room, then the
green rOom," to ask for coming
waltzes, and had gone away scowling
at Stella's refusal.
Their brief players moment had
passed, when Alfred's eyes had burned
into hers, revealing his own heart in
Romeo's words.
Yet, now that it was over, it seemed
q dream, and Stella began to doubt,
to fear. No formal words could more
fully disclose them, one to the other;
still an intangible veil had dropped
between them. Alfred was withheld
from her; or did he withhold himself?
No matter what it was, this hour she
would claim. One dance! Once to feel
his arms about her, to fancy him her.
very own-she would dare fate: for
this; would borrow from the future
this one little bit of time, nor care
what usury she must pay.
L As they neared Mr.. Crocker stand
ing by the Office door the jam Of
onlOokers halted them. Some one ad-.
dressed Stella and she did not hear
Mr. Crocker's low request for an i'm
mediate word with Alfred. He told
her of it as they walked slowly down
the room
She saw an angry CLEAN in his eye,.
saw his set, stern jaw; but he spoke,
hardly a word. Stella almost felt that
his anger was for her. In vain she looked
for some tender glance, some whisper
that would explain. She could not
know that Alfred was fighting one Of
the few fierce battles Of his life; that.
he was almost ready to- strike out
with his fist for possession Of .her, to
defy Mr. Croker, business, all the.
sane and safe and dutiful things OF
life. But the wild moment passed,
and more than once IN his way to the
door he looked back tender messages
to her. 3. =55s
The supper hour came; 3; but she
would not 90 with Gideon upstairs,
{ where It was laid In the corral, 9 fear
], Ing that Alfred. In his first search for
her, would miss her. Neither would
she dance afterward, but sat out =
schottische, refusing all on plea Of
fatigue.
Gideon danced with no one but Stel-
Il, and hung about her, entranced by
her new beauty. When at last 8
waltz was called love and anger. Joined
, hands. Just . few steps, Stella, : he