The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-03-09
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III. BY ANNIE EDWARDS. M
BY ANNIE EDWARDS.
CHAPTER VI.
Continued.

Continued.
They saunter forth into the night,
side by side; this southern night
which is but a whittier, more voluptu-
ous day, balmy as an English sum
mer noon-air so clearly lustrous
that every remostest object on sea
and land stands out, as though 'twere
chiseled in silver, against the pro-
found purple of the sky.
Roger Temple lights his pipe and
begins-a little way Roger has in
most feminine society-to feel his
heart grow soft. Belinda whistles.
at was good fun," she then says,
''that waltz we had, down at the Ca
sino, Roger-if you call me my dear,
why should ! not call you Roger,
steppapa Roger?' I enjoyed it all
the more because I knew how my es-
pargottes and my stockings and
everything about me riled Rosie!
But for real dancing-bah! if you
want to see that, you should come
with me to the Place 1thurbida and
see how the peasant girls dance the
bolero. 1t is not the third Of a kilo
away, I can hear the tambourines
from this, and I'll promise to bring
you back, safe and sound, Roger,
and Rosie is so happy with her young
mem"
She pleads to him, the soft night
shining on her lips and eyes, and for
the first time it occurs to Roger Tenn
pie that this wild little Arab child
will be a pretty girl some day.
"Take me where you will, Belinda.
do not believe in you overmuch,
but I will believe in Costa. am sure
Costa would not stand quietly by and
see me murdered"
She leads the way down a rough
bullock track or gully, that DIVORCES
at this point from the shore, and a
few minutes walk brings them out
upon the main road. From the Place
Ithurbida, a thicket of olive and cork
trees close at hand, rises sounds of
music; barbaric, blood-stirring, dance
music, about as much like the thread
bare Partisan tinkle-tinkle Of the Ca
sino waltzes as the smell of the moor
lands in September Is like a BARRIERS
shop.
".Now you shall see dancing In
earnest" says Belinda, arching her
slender arms cachuca fashion above
her head, and her whole 1.-the figure
seeming to become instinct on the mo-
ament with life and music. "Tra, la,
Ia, la, la, Ira, la, Ira, lira!"
The orchestra is composed Of a
Basque tambourine and bagpfpe, both
instruments played by an old woman
in rags; with castanet accompani-
ment, ad libftum, from the fingers of
the performers. The corps de ballet
consists of three couples of :An and
girls, all Of the lowest order OF the
people, not a shoe or stocking among
them, but "artistes," every one, if
originality and fire, joined to the
most perfect power of expression, the
most finished neatness in execution,
may be said to constitute art.
Belinda, at Rogers, side, remains a
silent spectator throughout one
dance. With the first notes Of the
next her feet begin to twinkle.
"This is the Basque bolero, the ma
tional Dance" she whispers to him;
"but there are o m of the best
dancers here tonight. You should
: see the Gitanas who come down from
lthe hill country at fair:time, Or
little witch, as if the thought had
Esuddenly struck her! as if it were not
expressly for this that she had lured
him hither,-"or you should see me,
Will you see me dance a bolero, Cap
tain Temple?"
Some time or another, my dear
child. Some evening at Rosie's
hotel, when"
"Now, this moment, out-of-doors,
to real Basque music, or never!
What, do you think I would dance q
bolero on a floor, with Rose shaking
her head and describing how nicely
The young ladies used to turn thei,
lies out at Miss Ingram's? ! dance
for you, sir, now or never! If you
are shocked, you know you al easily
Falk off in another direction and pre-
end you don't belong to me-
Her slight form trips away into ar
ppen space between the trees, six OF
light yards distant from the princiDa
Performers; and there, partnerless
nashamed as was EVER court duches:
uring the stately performance of
hinuet, the Earl of Liskeard's grand
aughter dances her bolero.
Roger watches her with pleasure az
egards the qualification of his arts
c sense, and at the same time will
lriously poignant pain. He ha!
we'd too long in India not to be re
inded of Nautch girls and theil
krformances by this kind of exhibit
on; and Rosie's animadversions OF
e subject of Belinda's return, will
bpleasant ciearness, to his mind
he peasants, with the perfect natura
eeding that characteriZes their race
Ike no further notice of the child
an by a smile or a nod as they pas!
r in the .evolutions Of the dance
- hen it is over they seat themselve!
the turf. the girls together, thu
In a little part. and ell begin chat
ing in that liquid bastard Sanscri
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