uise, was a revelation in evening costume; a
ravishing revelation; one to make a man pause and wonder and stand in
awe, and regard himself as a clumsy creature not worthy to touch the
hem of the garment which embellished such a divine being. Nevertheless
he conquered that wave of diffidence in a jiffy, or something like half
that space of time, and shook hands with her most eagerly, and looked
into her eyes and was grateful; for he found them smiling up at him in
most friendly fashion, and with rather an electric thrill in them, too,
though whether the thrill emanated from the eyes or was merely within
himself he was not sure.

"How many dances do I get?" he abruptly demanded.

"Just two," she told him, and showed him her card and gave him one on
which a list of names had already been marked by the young ladies of
Hollis Creek.

He saw on the card two dances with Miss Stevens, one each with Miss
Westlake and Miss Hastings, and one each with a number of other young
ladies whom he had met but vaguely, and one each with some whom he had
not met at all. He dutifully went through the first dance with a young
lady of excellent connections who would make a prime companion for any
advancing young man with social aspirations; he went dutifully through
the next dance with a young lady who was keen on intellectual pursuits,
and who would make an excellent helpmate for any young man who wished
to advance in culture as he progressed in business, and danced the next
one with a young lady who believed that home-making should be the
highest aim of womankind; and then came his first dance with Miss
Stevens! They did not talk very much, but it was very, very comforting
to be with her, just to know that she was there, and to know that
somehow she understood. He was sorry, though, that he stepped upon her
gown.

The promenade, which had seemed quite long enough with the other young
ladies, seemed all too short for Sam up to the point when Billy
Westlake came to take Miss Josephine away. He was feeling rather
lonely when Tilloughby came up to him, with a charming young lady who
was in quite a flutter. It seemed that there had been a dreadful
mistake in the making out of the dance cards, which the young ladies of
Hollis Creek had endeavored to do with strict equity, though hastily,
and all was now inextricable confusion. The charming young lady was on
the cards for this dance with both Mr. Tilloughby and Mr. Turner, and
Mr. Tillo