Evening star., 1922-07-02

cited. did his graces. whirled and
struck an attitude and held hand
out to his partner like a marquis.
And hihs partner was his boss wife.
and he an humble shipping clerk in
a perfumery.
And is not the dancing triumph of
the hump-backed man tand. more, his
confidence to win itD just the very
mark of dancing in the streets of
Paris on the day of the republic?
Out at Neuilly. I will call him
humpback No. /. For No. 2 the
scene is different-but. first the argu
ment and program.
NOTHING so astonishes American
tourists as the promiscuous
dancing in Paris streets on the
French Fourth. as July IA. the an
niversary of the fall of the Bastille.
is called.
To see men whirling away with
girls whom they meet without intro
duction or the slightest guarantee:
to look on while class distinctions are
swept aside in the selection of part
ners. is for a sure fact. calculated
to shock the foreigner who does not
know this annual custom of the re-
public.
Understood, it seems like sudden
return of the golden age of innocence
and kindliness. With all it's uncon-
ventionality, there is no rough play.
nothing that may be styled improper.
What is the miracle that makes the
timid unafraid. the fastidious toler-
ant, the rough-tough chivalrous?
The heart is there. 1t is a queer an
niversary sentiment. for one day
only, burnt twice deep into Frencn
consciousness originally by the
splendid ideals of the terrible reVo-
luton (Which guillotined its own
children when they lacked ''frater-
nity"), and now by the Sacred Union
of 1914. where the Apaches or Parls
Joined with workingmen, bourgeois
and nobility, in the defense OF the
soil.
Thousands of happy marriages date
from the republics anniversary dane
ing. The republic plans it So IT is
Machiavellian politics
1t was the dancing in the streets
of Paris on French Fourths from
1889 to 1914 that safeguarded the
republic against royalism. socialism.
Ronapartism, anarchy and the in
vasion that was lying in wait upon
them and at last lost patience
\
90. now, for Humpba No. 2. Near
- ly every hump-back's face has
something noble. Such unhappy men
and boys have a strange dignity.
Their manner is reserved. Yet. under
meath, they think we'll of themselves.
and the active ones are very active,
when they let themselves loose.
The bandstand was near the GEN.
trail markets. The old. narrow street
was gay with bunting. flags and Chi
nese lanterns ready to be lit up
later. 1t was almost twilight of
hot afternoon. Elders sat at little
tables on the sidewalk. Some young
couples seemed to be engaged in ex-
hibition fox trots.
Humph! A grizzled artisan glanced
at the butchers wife. A middle-aged
couple rose with authority. A burly
shopkeeper told his daughter to sit
therem and bowed with ceremony to
a pale war widow. The baker asked
a very pretty girl-whose soldier let
her. Ta-ta-ta-ta! ta-ta-ta-ta! You
should see them dance the polka!
They shoo-ed off those tangos!
I went inside for moment, till 1
heard the crash-bang Of the grand
ouadrille, the democrat of dances!
In the gathering twilight the small
place was crowded.
che quadrille, the great dance OF
tho Paris people on the French
Fourth! All the year round, let it be
she shimmy! On the day Of the re-
public, when they dance before the
ark, It Is the old quadrille!
Here came Hump-back No. 2, in tri-
umph.
Everybody seemed to know him.
He had curly hair and beard, like
Jova. He seemed a giants soul inn
prisoned in the twisted body. With
lofty air. as all acclaimed him, he
was leading back the butchers lady
to her chair and bowed and -four
ished, kissed her hand and bowed
again. QuitA low with his hand on
his heart,