Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-01-02

were required Dy ueF I0liel LOT
the dance. She curled her hair frizzily,
burning 1t here and there. with slate
pencil heated over lamp chimney, and
she placed above one ear three or four
large artificial roses, taken from an old
hat of her mothers, which she had
found in a trunk In the storeroom.
Possessing no slippers, she carefully
BACKED and polished her shoes, which
had been clumsily resoled, and fasten-
ed into the strings of each small
rosettes of red ribbon, after which she
practiced swinging the train Of her
skirt until she was proud Of her ma
nipulation of it, She had no powder,
but found in her grandfather's room a
lump of magnesia that he was in the
habit of taking for heartburn and pass
ed it over and over her brown face and
hands. Then lingering gaze into her
small mirror gave her JOY at last She
yearned SO hard to see herself charm
ing that she did see herself So Ad-
miration came, and she told herself
that she was more attractive to look at
than she had ever been in her life and
that perhaps at last she might begin to
be sought for like other girls.
1t was In the Pike dressing room that
the change began to come. There was
big cheval glass at one end of the
room, and she faced it when her turn
came-for the mirror was popular
with a sinking spirit. There was the
contrast, like picture painted and
framed. The other girls all wore their
hair after the fashion introduced to
Canaan by Mamie Pike the week be-
fore on her return from visit to Chi
cago. None of them had "crimped"
and none had bedecked their tresses
with artificial flowers Her alterations
of the wedding dress had not been sue
cessful; the skirt was too short in front
and higher on one side than on the 9TH
er, showing too plainly the heavy soled
shoes, which had lost their polish In the
walk through the snow. The ribbon ro-
settes were fully revealed, and as she
glanced at their reflection she heard
the words, Look at that train and
those rosettesr' whispered behind her
and saw in the mirror two pretty
young women turn away with their
handkerchiefs over their mouths and
retreat hurriedly to an alcoye. All the
feet in the room except Ariels were in
dainty kid or satin slippers OF the color
of the dresses from which they glim-
mered out, and only Ariel wore train.
She went away from the mirror and
pretended to be busy with a hanging
thread in her sleeve.
Ariel sat in one of the chairs against
the wall and watched the dancers with
a smile of eager and benevolent inter-
est. In Canaan no parents, no guard
ians, no aunts were hailed forth o.
nights to duenna the junketings of
youth. Ariel sat conspicuously alone.
There was nothing else for her to do.
1t was not an easy matter.
Once or twice between the dances
she saw Miss Pike speak appealingly
to one of the superfuous, glancing at
the same time in her own direction,
and Ariel could see too, that the appeal
proved unsuccessful, until at last Ma
mic approached her leading Norbert
Flitcroft partly by the hand. partly by
will power. Norbert was an excessively
fat boy and at the present moment
looked as patient as the blind But he
asked Ariel IL she was engaged for
the next dance and, Mamie having
fitted away, stood disconsolately be-
side her waiting for the music to begin.
Ariel was grateful for him.
The orchestra iourished into "La
Paloma;" he put his arm mournfully
about her and, taking her right hand
with his left, carried her arm out to
rigid right angle, beginning to pump
and balance for time. They made
three false starts and then got away.
Ariel danced badly; she hoped and
lost the step, but they persevered,
humping against other couples contin-
ually.
She caught her partner making
burlesque face of suffering over her
shoulder and, turning her head quick
~, saw for whose benefit he had con-
structed it. Eugene Bantry, flying ex-
pertly by with Mamie, was bestowing
upon Mr. Flitcroft condescendingly
commiseratiye wink. The next in
slant she tripped in her train and fell
to the floor at Eugene's feet, carrying
her partner with her.
There was shout Of laughter. The
young hostess stopped Eugene, who
would have gone on, and be had no
choice but to stoop to Ariel's assist
ance.
ct seems to be a habit of mine"
she said, laughing loudly
She did not appear to see the hand
he offered, but got to her feet with
out help and walked quickly away
with Norbert, who proceeded to live
up to the character he had given him.
self.
Perhaps we had better not try it
again" she laughed.
We'll. should think not he re-
turned, with the frankest gloom.