The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-07-03
DANCING FEET
BY MARTHA M'CULLoCH-
WILLIAMS.

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.
81 know two Baldwins-Dab and
Pony. Which is it you're out to
scalp?" Lester answered.
He caught a gasp-then: 1.-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.
tits 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 I'M 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, I fear" she
said with a little toss. "Merrilee went
to the sStreet Fair yesterday let
her. Her people were all going and
so wild over it, it seemed cruel to
keep her at home
Right" Lester interjected.
She raj on unheedingly. 81 thought
it was so safe-her mother and three
big brothers, to say nothing of the
rest.
But the chilluns,' 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" che 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, n I'd
given her-pale blue lawn. Then he
threw money at her, a silver dollar!
I'll ok ekartoI oil R14 racf-ohn woo
pelted with it-dimes, quarters. n
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
nan who 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 I
won't let the child go on with this
wretch-as an added attraction to
his side show. Think! She's only
sixteen! 1 can keep her two years
longer-till she's eighteen, thanks to
goodness. 1 hesitated to have her
bound to me legally. Now I'm ever
SO glad of having had it done"
Better let her 60" Lester began,
straight to destruction" Edith f1ared.
He shook his head, saying, mo"
ITO the fulillment OF her destiny.
LI4,4S- hon ahnnnn H0 ~ II IOnkG
smirched, even hazardous-but it
may never come again"
81 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 no
rhythm nor cadence of the dancer who
held a big audience spellbound. Merry
Morn she called herself.
"There's-a great MARVEL" Lester
said, nodding toward a nan 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-
1utely still, bathed in a rosy light that
gave her the seeming of a flower poised
for swaying upon a slender stem.
Slowly, slowly she dropped until her
head almost touched the floor, came
back with a sidelong unfolding sway,
and broke into pattering fairy steps
as though treading bending grasses.
Fast, faster, faster, she moved, slid
into weaving and swaying, flung up
arms, then bending forward called
voicelessly through cupped hands. The
house rang with applause, but across
the tumult of it came a keen musical
shrilling: LII gal, iii gal, I'm
comm"
With the cry a rough-cast giant
hurtled himself over the footlights
caught Merry Morn in his arms, and