at was his due from Robert Carruthers, his friend, along with
one similar, to the fine young Buzz Clendenning, who at that moment
came to my side and claimed my attention.

"You score with Sue. I'm to be the gracious little home city host and
give up any dances your Marquisity may choose with her. Sue foxes like
she was born in a fox hole under a hollow log, but she tangoes like
the original Emperor Tang himself, so go ahead and suit yourself.
Don't mind me. I'm the loving little playmate."

"That Mademoiselle Sue is so much of a peach that I am inclined to
request the receptacle of cream that I may devour her," I then made
answer to him in as many of the words of enthusiasm over a nice lady
as I could remember that Mr. George Slade of Detroit to have used over
the "skirt" in Louisville in the Country of Kentucky.

"Good, Bobby! I'll have to go tell Sue that before she is two minutes
older. I wouldn't want her to live five minutes longer without having
heard it. Sue's dead sure to tell the rest of the girl bunch, so I
hope you have a supply where that came from, for they'll all cry for
'em. There's the Governor making towards the door and Mrs. Pat, who is
always waiting at the gate for him, so come, let me lead you to the
dance." With which my nice Buzz and I followed the Gouverneur Faulkner
and the other gentlemen across the hall into the long salon of the
Mansion, whose floors were polished like unto a lake of ice, for
dancing.

In Touraine it is said that a nice lady fairy comes for a visit of
inspection at the _berceau_--in America it is cradle--of each
small human that is born, and gives to it a beautiful gift if
propitiations are made for it to please her. To that end sweetmeats
and nice presents are placed beside the small infant with which to
beguile the good opinion of that fairy. I would I could be that
exalted person and able to visit every small infant born a female in
all of the world. And the gift I would give to her, there in her
sleep, would be to one time in her life attend a ball in the raven
attire of a man in the city of Hayesville of America. I could bestow
no greater gift.

The hours that followed my entry into the ballroom in the Mansion of
the exalted Gouverneur Faulkner were like minutes of time that dropped
from a golden clock of joy. I danced on feet that were strong wings to
glide over a floor that was a many colored cloud from the reflection
of the soft lights and the silken skirts whi