The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-12-30
DANCING FEET
BY MARTHA M'CULLOCH-
WILLIAMS.

so shrilly, Lester knew the speaker
was angry or in trouble.
Commonly one meant the other
when Edith Norrys let herself go,
trouble came of it.
DO you-happen-to know-one
Baldwin," she asked, the gaps be-
tween words showing how she was
fighting with herself
Il know two Baldwins-Dab' and
Pony. Which is it you're out. to
scalp?" Lester answered
He caught gasp-then: Two!
Impossible! There isn't loathsome-
ness in the world to make two. Come
over right away, and let me convince
you'll feel like saying things no lady
like telephone ought to carry
Lester ran seven-eighths of the
mile between, but sauntered up to the
back piazza as though life held no
such thing as haste.
Its about Merrilee, Of course"
Edith began. why did Fate curse her
with that name besides giving her
feet that dance in spite Of herr"
81 am not Fate" Lester said re-
sentfully, as though she accused him,
his eyes the while twinkling under
downcast lids.
Edith made a face at him. Nor
much of anything else, 1 fear" she
said with a little toss. "Merrilee went
her Her people were all going and
SO wild over it, it seemed cruel to
keep her at home
Right" Lester interjected.
She ran on unheedingly. Il thought
it was so safe-her mother and three
big brothers, to say nothing of the
rest
But the chilIuns,' as she calls
them, took all the eyes Nam had to
spare from the wonders of town-the
boys got to pitching horse shoes, and
| eating watermelon against each other.
Merrilee says she lost herself 'mongst
so many folks-that Baldwin-thing
found her-then what do you think
happened?"
Tell me. Riddles bore me-" Les
ter said grinning
Edith glared at him. Took her
into the public dance tent" she said.
by and by all the rest stopped to
watch her-then her shoes hurt her
he made her slip them off and dance
there before all that crowd, in just
her petticoat-her slip rather, one I'd
given her-pale blue lawn. Then he
threw money at her, a silver dollar!
! That started all the rest-she was
| pelted with it-dimes, quarters, one
| gold piece even
Good for Pony! 1t must have been
Pony; Dab is the tight wad." Lester
interrupted laughing.
Again Edith glared Wait! The
| worst is to come" she said. "The
man WI flung the gold is an outsider
came with one of the attractions
those foolish town folk will bring in
for the fair. He got at Merrilee; got
at her people, too. The result is they
are ready to murder me because
won't let the child go on with this
| wretch-as an added attraction to
his side show. Think! She's only
sixteen l can keep her two years
longer-till she's eighteen, thanks to
! goodness. l hesitated to have her
bound to me legally. Now I'm ever
SO glad of having had it DONE
Better let her co." Lester began,
straight to destruction Edith fared.
He shook his head, saying, No
''To the fulfillment OIL her destiny
Here's her chance. To us it looks
smirched, even hazardous-but it
| may never come again.
It WILL" Edith said slowly. "Mer-
rilee shall have her chance. But
don't ask me not to hate that Bald.
win thing"
Times whirligig does, indeed, bring
strange revenges. Two years later
Mrs. Joseph Lester born Norrys, sat
beside her husband, leaning forward
over the box front, intent to miss nc
rhythm nor cadence of the dancer who
held big audience spellbound. Merry
Morn she called herself.
'There's-a great marvel" Lester
said, nodding toward a man below
one beyond the middle age, rough cast
roughly clothed, yet radiating rugged
} power. Nothing else would ever have
drawn Al Jenny from the Coye.
hope his coming means no mischief
For a second Merrilee was abso
lutely still, bathed in a rosy light thai
gave her the seeming of flower poised
for swaying upon a slender stem
Slowly, slowly she dropped until he1
head almost touched the floor came
back with a sidelong unfolding sway
and broke into pattering fairy step!
as though treading bending grasses
Fast, faster, faster she moved sliC
into weaving and swaying, flung III
arms, then bending forward callet
voicelessIy through cupped hands. The
house rang with applause, but across
the tumult of it came a keen musica
shrilling: Lii gal, iii gal, In
: comm"
With the cry a rough-cast gian
hurtled himself over the footlights