eemed to her that whenever they went to dinner--Gus in his baggy
pepper-and-salt sack suit, his loose, lay-down collar, and his
wide-toed shoes, Ma in one of her giddy, gaudy dinner dresses--it
seemed as if the entire assemblage was stricken dumb and as if every
eye was turned upon them in mockery and amusement. Even the waiters,
Allie felt sure, noted the difference between the Briskows and the
other guests, and only with difficulty concealed their contempt.

The occasional presence of Mrs. Ring, handsome, dignified, unruffled,
intensified that contrast and fairly shouted the humiliating
announcement that here were three nobodies who wanted to be somebodies,
but never could.

Invariably when they went out in public together Mrs. Ring made Allie
feel as if she belonged to a lower, cruder order of animal life; as if
she were an inhabitant of another sphere. And yet, Mrs. Ring was poor;
she worked for wages! Allie could not understand this phenomenon;
thought of it now caused her resentment to kindle.

Of course it was the lot of the hapless tutoress to select such a
moment as this in which to sweetly chide the girl for some lapse of
form. Allie exploded. She reduced the elder woman to tears, then,
ashamed of herself, she flung blindly out of the room, crashing the
door to behind her. She decided to dance her anger away. It was some
consolation to know that she could dance as well, or better, than those
slim and pampered beauties outside her window. Some consolation, even
though she never expected to have a chance of proving it.

Delamater was especially agreeable to-day, more than usually nattering.
Not for some time did his scholar become conscious of the subtle change
in his demeanor, and even then its significance awoke only a shadowy
contentment. Allie hated herself too thoroughly to-day to believe that
anybody could really approve of her. As for him, he entirely
misconstrued the meaning of her silent acceptance of his flattery.

They had become well acquainted by now and were on a basis of easy
familiarity, nevertheless it came as a shock to Allie to be called by
her first name-such a shock that she missed a step and trod on
Delamater's foot. They came to a pause.

The dancing master was tall and slim, his face was on a level with
hers, and now he smiled into it, saying, "My mistake, my dear."

"I--reckon it was." The girl's eyes were glowing queerly, and the man
was amused at her evident agitation. His first