What Will People Say?

exas Tommy" dancers were finishing a wild gallopade with a climax, in which the man hurled the woman aloft as if he were playing diabolo with her, caught her on his long sticks

es. Her hair fell loose on cue, and then he righted her, and they were bowing to the rapturous

n a snowbird costume and sang a sleigh-bell song. Little bells jingled about her, and the crowd ke

nough to detain Persis, who felt herself drawn by the distant music of a turkey-trot in the farthest room. The warring counterpoint of the two orchestras only added to the lawless excitement of the throng. The danc

eminiscence. It was the only sign she had given thus far tha

estaurant after the theater, have something nice to eat and drink, talk a while, and go home to bed. We thought we were very devilish, and preacher

ey had some sensational dancer or singer cavorting in the aisle. They were so close you could hear them grunt, and they looked like frights in the

ners off their own floors. And now the preachers and editors are attacking this. Whate

er gloves from her great arms and her tiny hands. "What wil

go into vaudeville and do flip-flaps and the split and suc

ersis said. "Willie, call a waiter and ask

d our table; but we don't have to drink the stuff. What do you want, Persis? Winifred? Mrs. Neff, what do you

, others rose and were in the stride before they had finished the mouthfuls they were surprised with; several caught a hasty

't matter." Her voice trailed after her, for she was already backi

air, and she went into the stream like a ship gliding from her launching-ch

tir till I'

r to explain to t

you to honor me; b

cks, but their curvettings were remarkably coltish. Mrs. Neff, who had sons in college and daughters of marriageable age, was giving an amazing exhibition. She backed and filled like a yacht in stays; she bucked and ducked like a yacht in a squ

had seen the Moros, the Igorrotes, the Samoans, and the Nautch girls of Chicago, and the meaning of this turmoil was the same. He knew that the dance was the invention of negroes. It

looking young men of deferential bearing; yet mingled with them almost inextricably, brushing against them, tripping over their feet, tangling elbows with them, were youth of precocious salacity, shop-girls of the

acle with amazement verging on horror, and thought in the term

the supper was commanded Enslee lifted his eyes to the dancers, shook his head

ask you, I ask you, if you can see how a white woman could hold herself s

fatally established among those people with whom one hates to agree. As soon as one found Willie holding similar views, one

opinions. In any case, here he was, in the notorious haunts of society, seated in its

don't see an