The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-07-19

opening from the street level up
on the foot of broadlsh stair
which took you up rather suddenly.
At the head of the stairway, tilted
back In a kitchen chair beneath
single gas Jet whose light he was try
ing to make suffice for the perusal or
q green newspaper, sat q man, under
orders, no doubt, to keep intruders
away. The thing to do was to go
by as II, for such as she. watch
men didn't exist The rhythmic pound
ing Of feet and the frayed chords
from worn-out piano. convinced her
she was in the right place.
Her stratagem succeeded. The man
glanced up and, though she felt no
didn't return to his paper again, nc
made no attempt to stop her. She
walked steadily ahead to another open
door at the far end Of the room,
through which sounds and light came
In.
Rose paused for steadying breath
before she went through that farther
door, her eyes starry with resolution,
her cheeks, just for the moment, lit
tie pale.
The room was hot and not well
lighted. In the farther wall Of 1t was
proscenium arch and raised stage.
On the stage, right and left, were two
irregular groups Of girls, with few
men, awkwardly, Rose thought, dis
posed among them. All were swaying
little to mark the rhythm of the mu-
sic industrlously pounded out by
sweaty young man at the piono-a
swarthy, thick young man In his un-
dershirt. There were q few more
people sprawled in different parts OF
| the hall.
It was all q little vague to her at
first, because her attention was To-
cused upon single figure-a compact,
ather slender, figure, and tall, Rose
iought-of a man In blue serge
it. who stood at the exact center OF
stage and the extreme edge OF the
Jotlights. He was counting aloud
he bars of the music-not beating
time at all, nor yielding to the rhythm
in any way; standing, on the contrary,
rather tensely still. That was the
quality about him, indeed, that riveted
Roses attention and held her, as still
as he was, in the doorway-an ex-
hilarating sort of intensity that had
communicated itself to the swaying
groups on n.the stage.
You could tell from the way he
counted that something was gathering
itself up, getting ready to happen.
"Three Four Five
Six Seven-Now !"
he shouted on the eighth bar, and with
the word one Of the groups trans
formed itself. One of the men bowed
to one of the girls and began waltzing
with her; another couple formed, then
another.
Rose watched breathlessly, hoping
the maneuver wouldn't go wrong-for
no reason in the world but that the
man there at the footlights was so
faulty determined that it shouldn't.
Determination trlumphed. The num-
Der was CONCLUDED to John Calbraith's
evident satisfaction. "very good" he
said. "If you'll all do exactly what
you did that time from now on, I'll
not complain" Without pause he went
on: Everybody on the stage-big
girls-all the big girls!" And to the
young man at the piano, "We'll do 'Af'
ternoon Tea"
There was momentary pause then
filed with subdued chatter, while the
girls and men reallgned themselves fol
the new number.
Rose looked them over. The girls
weren't, on an average, extravagantll
beautiful, though, with the addet
charm of makeup allowed for, ther'
were, no doubt, many the audiences
would consider so. They were dressed
in pretty much anything that woul'
allow perfect freedom to their bodies
especially their arms and legs; bath
Ing suits mostly, or MILDLY blouses ant
bloomers. Rose noted this with salts
faction. Her old university gymna
stun costume would do perfectly. Any
thing, apparently, would do, because
as her eye adjusted Itself to details
she discovered romper suits, pima
fores, chemlses, overalls-all equal
taken for granted.
Gabraith struck his hands togethe
for silence, and scrutinized the nov
motionless group on the stage.
"We're one shy" he said. "Who'
misslng?" And then answered his ow
question: "Grant!" He wheele
around and his eyes searched the hal
Rose became aware, for the frs
{ time, that n mutter of conversation ha
been going on incessantly since sh
had come in, in one of the recesse
window seats behind her. Now whe
' Galbralth's gaze plunged in that d
Z rection, she turned and looked to
i A big blonde chorus girl was In theI
I with a man, girl who, with twent
Z pounds trained off her, and that sulk
look out of her face, would have bee
e beauty. She had reused herself wit
: sort of defiant dellberatlon at II
sound of the directors voice, but 81
a still had her back to him and went
l. talking to the man.
e "Grant" said John Galbraith agai