New Britain herald., 1927-09-09

! Oh, l know that. sally assured
 him. She always said she did" She
 took a quick look at John Nye as
 she flashed past him on her way to
 the hall to get a tambourine that
 she had bought for her new dance. At 7:30. when Sally re-entered the
 dining room for her Savannah
 Stomp, it was crowded. The sound
 Of talk, the fragrance of tobacco
 smoke filled the air.
 Davidson was still sitting at his
 table, smoking a thick, black cigar
 and drinking black coffee.
 John Nye was at his table. too. l Sally did not look directly at him,
 but she could see him from the tail
 of her eye.
 She began 10 dance.
 And the Sally who danced was a 1 Sally whom John Nye never had dreamed of--a wild, abandoned
 gypsy, whose teeth gleamed in a
 wide, flashing smile. whose eyes smiled, and whose red heels twinkled
 madly about the small square of 1 floor in the center Of the room. She was no more like the demure, sensible little private secretary who had timidly brought him sandwiches than d Bird of Paradise is like a Jenny Wren.
 II Sally had happened to look his way she would have seen many things clearly written on his face just then. Astonishment. a kind of unwilling admiration, and anger, as well as something else. But she never noticed him. She smiled at the other faces that were turned towards her, and she waved her hanod to Davidson, who clapped loudly and long when she was fin ished.
 She danced again. and then the floor was given over to the diners for ballroom dancing.
 Sally drifted into the kitchen. light and bright colored as an autumn leaf in the west wind. Her scarlet silk rags, sewn with little bells, tinkled as she went. The door swung shut upon her.
 John Yves eyes stayed upon the panels Of the swinging door until 1t closed. Then he laid d tive-dollar bill upon the la ble and got up. Never mind the change" he said shortly to the round-eyed Hilda, who stared duly after him. No one had ever given her three dollars for a tip before.
 He went into the hall.
 Sally was there.
 She was on her way upstairs to change her dress. and she started to pass him with just the tiniest smile of recognition.
 Then just as she put out her hand to grasp the newel post at the bot tom of the flight, she felt her two arms seized firmly from behind and John Nye swung her around facing him.
 Fortunately, the big hall was empty. There was no one about to witness the ridiculous scene that fol- lowed. It truly was ridiculous-for John Nye shook Sally exactly as a big brother might have shaken a small and wicked sister.
 This is fine thing for you to be doing, isn't it?" he asked violently. and Sally laughed from sheer ner- vousness She couldn't believe that this thing was actually happening to her. :. . John Nye. shaking her! Why, it was impossible! It didn't seem as if it could be happening to her.
 Then, In twinkling, she recov- cred herself.
 "Pleaso take your hands from | mel" she said, turning and twisting | herself until she was out of his z grasp. What ARE you talking about, Mir. Nye?" Even in her own | ears her voice sounded cool and I calm now.
 If you don't know yourself, how can explain to you?" he asked. But don't you see that you're not ! like this? That it's not your sort of thing"
 Sdly "dS lldlhly iiyotiitSo' D''' her shoulders-smooth and graceful under the thin scarlet silk of her bodice. 1
 You mean dancing here?" she asked lin my aunt's restaurant? DO you think it's such a terrible thing to do?" i
 His mouth twisted in a sarcastic i, smile
 "Oh, we'll, better women than have danced for their living an- swcred Sally, her foot on the bot tom step of the stairs. Dancing IS q perfectly respectable thing to do. l And love it. I'm sorry if you dis i like to see Millie's sister making a public how of herself. If that's the way YOU think of it. But you mustn't think any the less of Millie. because I do it. It isn't her fault that ] dance here, you know. And Aunt Elm and I didn't start out to run a [ roadhouse."
 Silence for minute.
 Then John Nye spoke again quppose it isn't any of my business N hat you debut what does your davidson thing about it?"
 Just then Davidson came strut ting out of the dining room, and without speaking to him. John . Nye turned and went out of the 1, I, Oucc