bet! He had seen only
what appeared to be the humorous side. Hughie's own pride enabled him to
realize how deep were the hurts she was trying so pluckily to hide. But
why did they treat her so? Even her dreadful get-up seemed scarcely to
account for it.

The next number, as he surmised, was a square dance.

"Take your pardners fer a quadrille!"

There was a scrambling and a sliding over the floor, accompanied by much
laughter, to the quickly formed "sets."

"There's a place, Kate--on the side, too, so you have only to watch what
the others do."

She hesitated, but he could see the longing in her eyes.

He taunted boyishly, "Don't be a 'fraidy cat,'" at which for the first
time they both laughed with something of naturalness.

Mr. Scales of the Emporium and his plump bookkeeper were there, and the
willowy barber with the stylish operator of the new telephone exchange,
while Mr. and Mrs. Neifkins made the third couple, and Hugh and Kate
completed the set.

There was an exchange of looks as the pair came up. The stylish operator
lifted an eyebrow and drew down the corners of her mouth. The bookkeeper
said, "Well!" with much significance,--but it remained for Mrs. Neifkins
to give the real offense. The expression on her vapid face implied that
she was aghast at their impudence. Gathering the fullness of her skirt
as though to withdraw it from contamination she laid the other hand on
her husband's arm:

"There's a place over there, Myron, where we can get in."

"It's nearer the music," said Neifkins with an apologetic grin to the
others.

Those who stayed had something of the air of brazening it out. In vain
Mr. Butefish called sternly for, "One more couple this way!"

It was Scales of the Emporium who said, finally:

"Looks like we don't dance--might as well sit down."

Every one acted on the suggestion with alacrity save Kate and Hughie.
When he turned to her, he saw that she was swallowing hard at the lump
that was choking her.

"It's on account of me that they act so, Hughie! You stay if you want
to; I'm going."

"Stay here?" he cried in boyish passion. "You're the only lady in the
room so far as I can see! What would I stay for?"

The citizens of Prouty were still deeply impressed by each other's
pretensions, as the reputations the majority had left in their "home
towns" had not yet caught up with them. Therefore, being greatly
concerned about what his neighbor thought of him, no one would have
d