Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-05-23
The Duty of
Dancing
By JANE OSBORN

(Copyright.)
UVOU really are a wonderful dan
GER" said the girl in buttercup
yellow. . .s.
THANK you" Jim Harper sitting
beside the glrl-both on camp chairs
at one end Of the room-looked at her
with quizzical smile. "You said that
as If you fully expected me to dance
like clown"
The girl in buttercup yellow, small,
with clear, pale face, had deep gray
eyes that thrilled Jim when she looked
at him. 81 was surprised" she admit
ted, because you really are an extra.
ordinarily good dancer, and from what
1 had heard of you didn't expect it
living out West there, working on that
big dam, without any girls anywhere,
around to dance with. And, besides,
you're so big-and outdoorsy. You
know what / mean-so rugged and"
you're right about there not being
any girls out there" Jim said. Il guess
my sister has been talking about me.
You know Patty, thenT oJ
They were sitting at one end Of the
room midway between group Of chat
terlng older women who were the
chaperons, and the orchestra, hedged
about by palms and ferns. The girl
In yellow nodded to the chaperons,
and her eyes cast about the room
watching the other couples, in a way
that annoyed Jim.
81 think Patty likes nursing" said
the girl in yellow, and Jim said he was
sure she did. The rest of the family
were much opposed. he said, but he
had sided with her. He knew how It
would be to want to do something as
much as Patty wanted to nurse, and
then have family set against 1t.
you're a nurse, too" he remarked
to the girl In yellow. OF course she
must be or she wouldn't be there at
this dance given by the girls in the
training school of st. Elizabeth's hos
pital.
sits funny" remarked Jim, looking
so intently at the girl beside him that
she could not take her eyes away, "but
when l was boy in boarding school
and broke some bones playing my first
football and had to 60 to the hospital,
1t seemed as If the nurses were all old
and prim like school teachers. But
you seem just like little girl. It's
wonderful-really wonderful-with all
that you must go through, that you
are able to keep so sweet and flower
like"
maybe the way we dress nowadays
has something to do with it." suggest
ed the girl.
"And, of course" added Jim, there
must be lot of the nurses who aren't
like you-head nurses and superIntend-
ents. Patty has told me quite bit
about the head nurse here" he added.
"She must be courageous kind Of a
woman" There was a pause which
the girl in buttercup yellow did not
attempt to fill. Then Jim went on.
Patty wanted me to dance with her
and suppose l ought to look her up.
But it's a funny thing-a man can
hear a lot about what a fine character
a woman has and how brave and faith
full she is, and though he admires her
he doesn't specially want to dance with
her."
81 suppose So" said the girl, and
Jim went on.
81 wish didn't have to dance with
anyone but you. But I've got to look
up that head nurse promised Patty.
And ] suppose you've got your dances
promised. Maybe you could give me
Just one moreT
Surprising ! take your dance or.
der" suggested the girl, land look up
the head nurse. I'll get her to give
you dance or two. I'm afraid won't
have any left" 40 ..a
Jim looked appealingly at her-a it,
tie bit frightened. "Do you mean you
don't want to dance with me againi"
She did not answer him directly. :"
must go and look up that head nurse
Jane Bradstreet Is her name"-and
then she hurried away and Jim watched
her as she stood and talked to the
chaperons and then went on and
talked to the leader OF the orchestra.
Jim still sat there, not troubling to
find partner for the next dance, until
a dumpy little girl In spectacles and
a blue satin dance frock came up to
him.
"She told me to say that the head
nurse would give you the tenth and
the last dance" she recited, land she
said she would be glad II you danced
every dance"
Jim stood up awkwardly. he was
over foot taller than the dumpy lit
tie girl In blue and she looked clumsy
ard be very happy II you'd give me
this next dance" he said to the girl
who beamed with Joy at having found
such good-ooking partner. "Our
head nurse Is perfectly wonderful" the
girl told him as he led her out to the
floor THAT time when there was q
fire in Ward C-yOu should have seen
her--a regular Florence Nightingale"
"She must be remarkable" said Jim
without enthusiasm
Then came the tenth dance and he
asked the girl with whom he had
danced the ninth to point out the head
nurse-MIss Bradstreet and the girl
pointed out the lovely nurse In butter
rup yellow.
"Bui you cant be that head nurse
the have been talking about" he told
her at is enough to be so beautiful
and really you will lei me have the
last dance with your"
"Of course I'd rather dance It with
you" said the girl than with anyone
else Patty has told me how clever
you are and how brave. but ! never
Imagined that you were So good look
Ing and entertaining besides"
VERNON g. OWEN,
raSmrmawAanen amn~anAarea