Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-20
yardy tootles and squeaks F.. f
time I'd heard q jazz-band!

You want a partner; Til give you
a really good one," said the little
dancing-mistress, briskly. Phyllis!"
h turned to the black-and.whitc
Vogue lady.
you take Mr.. Grantham's friend
will you, and put him in the way OF
things?"
Try tot" said this girl. gaily; and
| saw I'd made. no end Of a mistake
in imagining she had been fed up.
Why, she was as happy as a ,sandboy,
tossed little mods to me, and to Slim
and Miss Yellow Frock over my shout
der.
Slim gave her a glance with his
head on one side and said as if he
wasn't quite sure about something,
Nov. wasn't this MY dancer"
"Oh. no." said the Vogue girl bright
I'm not a mere partner tonight, Pm
assistant, because Mrs. Delaforce who
carrying on for her. Promised. I'm
taking our friend, because he's new"
Start in. then, Old Horse said
Slim ~encouragingly to me q not hay
ing had a chance to get in edgeways
that I'd scarcely even WaltZed at all,
ever!) and he and his Miss Yellow
Frock ,circled away together just as
my partner took: my hands and put
them where they ought to go and sort
Of hypnotized me into plunging with,
: her into the hesitation waltz.
Oh Lord
More hesitation than waltz"
about it as far as my steps were con-
cerncd. I can tell you. And not so
much hesitation" as downright col
lision'! An awful ass l felt, and as
If I were making no endsof an exhibit
ton of myself. n SO awful sorry for
the girl! Cutting my teeth on her,
Now she was a sportsman about 1t.
Most awfully decent and patient. Say
ing. to me, "Oh, 10. you're not a bit
clumsy; not for a beginner, not at
ALL" And For such a big person,
d'you know you're extraordinarily
light? . But then T always think
you tall men are as light as a feather!'
And n of the times when I barged
her into Slim she shook her bobbed
head at him and said to him as we
passed, Your fault! l always tell you
about your shoulders; quite wrong
again!" And!" And she smiled all
the time as if she thoroughly enjoyed
my humping her along over the slip
perry floor as II she were a. bus and
this my first attempt at taxing! Sew
eral times l pretty nearly crashed
too.
Still, she was such a splendid dane
er that for the last half-minute of it
I positively enjoyed it-that is I
would have If I hadn't had to make
a forced Handing after all, because
when I was trying to "hesitate' I
caught my foot in some of the mauve
flounces and things of Sons Mother
as h danced behind us, and nearly
brought the lot of US over for a grand
finale.
Ny partner told me she'd danced
with hundreds Of men who were mo-
nearly as good as I was. even after
half-a-dozen lessons. She aid Nj.
Grantham ought not to have brought
me to start at the Thursday show; It
wasn't fair on a beginner. for Cecily
(this vas what she called the little
Observation-Disclosures had these Thurs
day evenings for her pupils after
they could run alone, 80 to speak, and
so that she could keep her eye !. on
them and see how they got. on at real
dances when they'd left her. She
my partner-said I ought to arrange
for private lessons. And before ]
knew where I was. there was / saving
ia come to this place every day next
week, at eleven &C emma You Gee.
I'd been taking duty for a mar in our
office who was off to Scotland, and 7
should be on from three to eleven for
a week. Which left my morntngs
clear. So l didn't see why I shouldn't
especially as this girl said she's Civ
ing a lot of the lessons to, help. e
friend out, and she'd take me on her
self and get me to dance as well. az
anybody in no time. =:
All this she told me as we sat out
on a very comfortable sort Of sofa.
right out of the way Of everybody al
the back of the alcove that she show
ed me. She Told me only that floor
belonged to the classes: n the house
was let off in floors. She'd a very
nice speaking-votce-I thought her a.
Jolly sort of girl altogether. So, friend
~. Nicer than pretty, I. shouldn't
call anybody pretty with dark eyes.
How could 0 expect eyes as black
and sparkly ~ hers eyer to look softY
She'd probably hate to look anyway;
But I liked her. So kind TO take such.
o lot Of trouble over me-.
Funny how easy to talk TO, too. l.;
who'ye always wondered what fellows
find to say to girl3 at dances, I found
myself telling this girl no end Of
things I wonder she wasn't
bored stiff. but even when I stopped
she asked me questions about fellows
I'd known In the SaIadron and about
how 1t felt to be civilians again after
all that.
Then (this was after the music had
struck up n fox-trot and all the other
people were dancing again) she said
S you're working In the office with.
Slim Grantham there I suppose you
like him very much"
j said everybody liked Slim.
Men. I suppose" said this girl.
! was rather surprised: I8Mid, shOh..
ana wornen Rather! slim sets on