Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-07-13
Being a
WaNNouz,er

| asked MIS-. PerklnSOn OF her nelghbOr
| Mrs. Bottine. But of course you
never We're" she added, generously
Il suppose it strikes you as funny
| 1t isn't.
Il used to laugh myself about the
| poor forlorn things sitting in corners
| watching others dance" she contin-
| ued. Il laugh no more. |, like you,
| thought that | should never be wall
| flower, but being a wallflower is like
| lightning-one never knows where it
will strike nor whom.
Never mind when it happened Per-
haps my husband was to blame for
not looking out for me- Still, / sup
pose the poor man thought the other
| men would swarm about me after he
| left me at the end of the first dance
| The party being informal, there were
no programs, so he had no chance to
| I'LL one out for me.
| Well, | sat confidently waiting to
be asked for the second dance Alas!
found had arrived at the bargain
| ing age, where one man makes bar
gain with another like this: If you
will dance the next dance with my
wife | will dance with yours. My
husband had not known of my doleful
lack of fascination for other men.
Patiently and vainly l waited for
a partner Finally saw man knew
coming across the hall toward me-
half rose, smiling my most fascinat-
ing smile. He passed me unheeding,
and asked another woman three seats
away.
Surely with the third number
would be asked to dance-hope dies
hard! But the third and the fourth
We're like the second, and there still
sat. Dancing halls are heated for
dancers, not for wallhowers. so l be-
gan to feel chilly.
while the fourth dance was in
progress still sat, every minute get
ting sitter and sitter from the cold,
while | saw the other people dancing
gayly by.
"One woman kindly asked: Aren't
you dancing this EVENING" To which
answered, Yes
But. oh joy! The NTH dance
struck up, and 10, partners!
Il did not mind If he was old and
fat-and oh, how very fat he was! |
did not mind If he could not dance.
He, at least, would bring me on the
floor with the others I was so over
1oyed at being chosen that l could
hardly answer him. 1t was all could
do to refrain from clutching him
wildly, so that he could not get away!
Il wish | could describe that mad
waltz. Novelists have pictured waltz.
ing as floating around the hall with
heart and feet attuned to the pulsing
thrpbbing music Our waltz wasn't
like that. My partner began turning
round and round, like dervish, until
my head spun like a top Now he
would step on my toes and then he
would madly bump me first into one
couple and then into another. But
the finest gold has its alloy. One
must take the bitter with the sweet.
| was, at least. getting warmed up
AS for my partner. what was my
i
was purple. his collar was limp and
his breath was coming in quick. husky
jerks. AT last / became alarmed
What if he should have fit?
Hadn't we better walk for a
while?' l asked him.
| No he answered No; I'm
dancing for exercise In summer I
ride wheel and in winter dance to
keep down my fat!
"Oh. why are hope and faith SO
strong? Why didn't then go to the
dressing room, instead of being led
to "a seat again, to sit and watch and
sit and watch the dancers? But l
repeat that hope dies hard.
Each time man came my way |
smiled, whether | knew the creature
or not. 1t was no use. The revelry
| went on and through it all | sat and
sat and sat.
Little by little | moved nearer to
the radiator until l found a seat be-
side It, Oh, how good the heat felt
to my stiff neck and my rheumatic
knee! 1t was past my bedtime now
ana began to feel sleepy.
AT last the warmth. the music, the
laughter and the throb of the dancers
feet all mingled and saw nothing,
heard nothing!
My goodness! Had | been asleep
Had anyone seen me? Oh, my stiff
neck. how it hurt.
\ Suddenly | saw my husband COM
ing across the hall Should | tell
him how had passed the evening?
| No! No! l would not own up!
Smiling, | rose to my feet as he
came near. He said; I have danced
every dance this evening am dead
tired. and | know you are Don't you
want to go home?"
Smiling still. answered: Yes,
home sounds very good to me, for I,
too, am very tired
II tried not to limp as | crossed
the floor. but my knee gave me ugly
twinges.
1 Why are you leaving so early?'
our friends asked.
|