action of seeing Judith refuse to dance
with Tom Harbison. That young man had crossed the floor with his
accustomed assurance, had bowed low in front of Judith and begged her
to favor him, even taking her by the hand and endeavoring to draw her
from her chair, but she had refused him in short order.

Judith danced and danced with the old men. Whatever the step they
decided to take the girl followed. She was a born dancer and, after a
few paces, could adapt herself to any partner. There were other young
men besides Jeff and Tom who sought her hand in the dance, but she was
always engaged to some one of the ten old men. The only chance for the
young ones was for the old ones to fall by the wayside, which they did
occasionally when their old legs refused to carry them farther.

"I'd break in on them if they weren't so old," declared one young
farmer.

"It wouldn't do a bit of good," said a young doctor. "I tried and she
turned me down--said she had promised the old duffer the whole
dance."

So it happened that Judith's time was fully taken up by her fairy
godfathers until the supper-time intermission.

CHAPTER XV

Cinderella Revealed

The rattle of china and silver had begun in a room beyond the dancing
hall and an aroma of coffee and a suggestion of savory food was in the
air. Dancers and spectators sniffed in anticipation. The music
stopped. Judge Middleton walked towards the end of the hall. He had
Judith Buck by his side, her hand resting lightly on his arm. She was
chatting gaily, but the Judge looked rather serious.

When the couple reached a spot near the bass drum, the Judge stopped
and, borrowing the stick from the musician, he rapped sharply on the
side of the drum.

"He's going to make a speech!"

"Be quiet!"

"Judge Middleton is going to talk!"

The other nine old men called for order. Another sharp rap on the drum
and all was still.

"Friends," the Judge said, "I have something to say to you." One could
have heard a pin drop. "Of course all of us old men know that you
have had a very good time, laughing at us because we sent out
invitations calling this a debut party. We are pleased to have given
so many of our friends a good laugh. We did it on purpose, because we
have all of us lived a long time and we know how popular it makes you
to furnish a good laugh. We are proud and happy that so many persons
have seen fit to come to our party and we hope you are having a
pleasant time to re