The Ordway new era., 1919-10-10
CHAPTER Iv-contInued.

"Give me the next and the one aftei
that" he said hurriedly. recovering
some presence of mind, just as the
nearest applicant reached them. sand
give me every third one the rest OF
the evening"
She laughed. "Are you askingf"
"What do you mean. 'ashingr"
"It sounded as though you were Just
telling me to give you all those
dances"
swell. want 'em I" George insisted
~Are you going to give me"
"Good gracious!'' she laughed
~Yesi"
The applicants fiocked round her,
but they did not dIslodge George from
her side. though he made 1t evident
that they succeeded in annoying him
and presently he extricated her from
an accommodating siege-she must have
connived in the extricatlon-and bore
her OF to sit beside him upon the
stairway that led to the musicians
gallery, where they were sufficiently
retired. yet had a view of the room.
"How'd all those ducks get to know
you so quickT' George inquired, with
little enthusiasm.
"Oh, I've been here week."
Looks as If you'd been pretty
busyi" he said. "Most of those ducks
don't know what my mother wanted
to invite 'em here for"
"Perhnps 1t was on account Of their
parents" Miss Morgan suggested
mildly. Maybe she didn't want te
offend their fathers and mothers"
"Oh. hnrdlyl I don't think m.
mother need worry much about offend
ing anybody in this old town."
''It must be wonderful" said Miss
Morgan. 'It must 20 wonderful, Mr.
Amberson-Mr. Minafer. / mean"
"What must be wonderfully"
ITO be so important as thati"
THAT Isn't important George as.
sured her. "Anybody that really is
anybody ought to be nble to do about
as they like in their own town, ]
should think I"
She looked at him critically from
under her shading lashes-but her
eyes grew gentler almost at once. In
truth, they became more appreciative
than critical Georges imperious good
looks were altogether manly. yet ap-
preached actual beauty as closely as
q boys good looks should dare; and
danco music and flowers have some
effect upon nineteen-year-old girls as
we'll IS upon eighteen-year-old boys.
The stairway was drafty: the steps
were narrow and uncomfortable; no
older person would have remained In
such q place. Moreover, these two
young people were strangers to each
other: neither had said anything In
which the other had discovered the
ellgbtest intrinsic interest; there had
not arisen between them the begin.
nings Of congeniality. or even OF
friendliness-but stairways near ball.
rooms have more to answer for than
have moonlit lakes and mountain sun
sets
Age, confused by its own long ac.
cumnlation of follies. is everlastingly
inQuiring, "what does she see in him 2
ss II young love came about through
thinking-or through conduct. A,
eighteen one goes to a dance. sits with
stranger on stairway, feels pc
culiar, thinks nothing. and becomes
incapable of any plan whatever. Miss
Morgan and George stayed where they
WERE
They had agreed to this in silence
and without knowing 1t; certainl,
without exchanging glances of intelli
gence-they had exchanged no glance.
at all. Both sat staring vaguely ou
into the ballroom, and, for time
they did not spenk. Here and ther,
were to be seen couples so carrie,
away that. ceasing to move at tn
decorous. even glide. considered mos
knowing. they pranced and whirle,
through the throng, from wall to wall
Ealioping bounteously in abandon
George suffered a shock of vague SUI
prise when he perceived that his aunt
Fanny Minafer. was the lady-half o
one Of those wild couples. She fle,
over the floor In the capable arms O
the queer-iooking duck; for this pei
son wss her partner.
The queer-iooking duck had been
real dancer in his day. 1t appeared
aud evidently his day was not W
ever. In spite Of the headlong ga
rapIdity with which he bore Mis-
Fanny about the big room he dance
authorstatively. avoiding without e
tort the ushtsst collision with oth'