Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-09-07
Marjorie's lovely eyes dilated. {

Marjorie underwent that exper1enc
which hearty, healthy little girls an
big girls undergo at one time or an
stherIfrom heels to head she felt hei
self, somehow, too thick.
Fanchon leaned close to Penrod ant
whispered in his ear:
Don't you forget!"
Penrod hlushed.
Marjorie saw the blush. Her lovel!
eyes opened even wider, and In then
there began to grow light. 1t wa
the light of indignation-at least peopl
whose eyes glow with that light Away
call It indignation.
Roderick Magsworth Bits, Jr, ap
preached Tanchon when she had mad
her courtesy 10 Mrs. SchoAeld. Fan
chon whispered In Roderick's ear also
"Your hair is pretty, Roddy! Don
forget what you said yesterdayr
Roderick likewise blushed.
Maurice Levy, captivated by the new
comers appearance, pressed close +
ROderick.
"Give us an intaduction, ROddyT
Roddy being either reluctant or un
able to perform the rite, Fanchon tool
matters into her own hands and wa
presently favorably impressed will
Maurice, receiving the information tha
his tie had been brought to him b.
his papa from Skoone's. whereupol
she privately informed him that sh
liked wavy hair and arranged to dane
with him.
Fanchon also thought that sandy hal
| was attractive, Sam Williams discover
| ed a few minutes later, and SO catholi
was her taste that ring Of boys quit
encircled her before the musicians u
the yard struck up their thrilling march
and Mrs. Schofield brought Penrod t
escort the lady from out OF town Il
the dancing pavilion.
Headed by this pair, the children
sought partners and paraded solemnl.
out Of the front door and round COZ
ner Of the house. There they fount
| the gay marquee, the small orchestr'
| seated on the lawn ut one side OF
and a punch bowl Of lemonade invit
ing attention under tree. Decorous
ly the small couples stepped upon tn
platform, one after another, and begal
to dance.
"Its not much like a children's part.
| In our day." Mrs. Williams said Il
Penrod's mother. WED have beel
playing Quaker meeting, clap in, clal
out or going to Jerusalem. l suppose"
"Yes, or postoftice and drop the hand
kerchief," said Mrs. Schoteld. Thing
change so quickly. Imagine asking LIT
tie Fanchon Gelbraith to play Londol
bridge! Penrod seems to be having
difficult time with her, poor boy. 81
wasn't a shining light in the dancin,
class"
However, Penrod's difficulty was no
precisely Of the kind his mother sur
posed.
Fanchon was soon showing him
new step, which she taught her mex
partner in turn, continuing instrue
tons during the dancing. The childre
crowded the floor, and in the kaleido
scopic tumble Of bobbing heads and ir
termingling figures her extremely di1
ferent style of motion was unobserve
by the older people, who looked or
nodding time benevolently.
Fanchon fascinated girls as well a
boys. Many Of the former eagerl
sought her acquaintance and thronge
about her between the dances, wheI
accepting the Difference due a cosmc
| politan and an oracle Of the mode, sh
gave demonstrations Of the new ste
to succeeding groups. protesting al
constituent to find It unknown. It ha
been "all the CO." she explained, q
the Long Shore Casino for fully tw
seasons.
She pronounced very "slow" a "far
cy dance" executed during an ir
termission by Baby Rennsdale an
George Bassett, giving It as her opir
ion that Miss Rennsdale and Mr. Bas
sett were dead ones," and she e1
pressed surprise that the punch bow
contained lemonade and not chan
payne.
The dancing continued, the new ste
gaining instantly In popularity, fres
couples adventuring with every nun
Der. The word "step" Is somewha
misleading. nothing done with the fee
being vital to the evolutions intrt
duced by Fanchon. Fanchon's dane
came from the orient by roundabou
way.
Pausing in old Spain, taking on
Gallo frankness in gallantry at tn
Bal Butler in Paris, combining with
relative from the south seas encouI
tered In San Francisco, favoring itsel
with q care free negrOid abandon 1
New Orleans and accommodating, tot
something inexpressible from Mexic
and South America, 1t kept throughou
its travels to the underworld or to eli
cles where nature Is extremely fran
and rank, until at last It reached th
dives Of New York, when 1t immediate
ly broke out in what is called civilize
society.
Thereafter it soon spread in var
ously modified forms-some Of thel
disinfected-t watering places an
thence, carried by hundreds Of olde
male and female Fanchons over th
country, being eagerly adopted ever!
where and made wholly pure and n
spectacle by the supreme moral a1iol
that anything Is all right II enoug
people do It.
Everybody was doing It.
Not quite everybody. It was pc
haps some test Of this dance thi
earth could furnish no more grotesQu
sight than that of children doing It.
Earth, assisted by Fanchon. was fu
nishing this sight at Penrod's part,
By the time ice cream and cake arri'
ed about half the guests had eith'
been initiated into the mysteries b
Fanchon or were learning by init
tion, and the education Of the oth'
half was resumed with the dancir
when the attendant ladies, uncol
scious Of what was happening, wit
drew into the house for tea and b
Of gossip.
"That orchestra's a dead one," Fal