Part 14 (1/2)

”Who is it?”

”Who can it be?”

”n.o.body but little Judy Buck, you say?”

”Where did she get her clothes?”

”Worked like a n.i.g.g.e.r and bought 'em! Why not? She's the best little worker in town. Got a bunch of irons in the fire and she surely ought to get some clothes out of it.”

”But old d.i.c.k Buck's granddaughter's got no right to be mixing with county society.”

”The Knights were a good sort and d.i.c.k wasn't anything but lazy and trifling and sometimes a little tipsy. There wasn't anything mean about old d.i.c.k.”

”Well, she's a humdinger for looks, is all I've got to say.”

So the talk went around. Judith, all unconscious of having attracted attention, shook hands gaily with the old men and all but kissed them in her joy, and promised to dance with every one of them and immediately had her card filled with trembly-looking autographs.

”Won't you dance, Mrs. Buck?” suggested Colonel Crutcher, but Mrs.

Buck declined with agitated blushes, declaring her health was too feeble for such carryings-on.

”Well, I'm going to put you in a front seat so you won't miss anything and then Miss Judy can sit by you when she is not dancing. That's all right, I'll get some of your church members to keep you company.”

Colonel Crutcher conducted mother and daughter across the ballroom and, much to the confusion of Mrs. Buck, placed them next to Miss Ann Peyton. That lady was seated in solitary grandeur, Big Josh having departed to look up other members of the family.

”Miss Peyton, this is a little friend of mine I want to introduce to you, Miss Judith Buck, and her mother, Mrs. Buck.”

Miss Ann bowed with what might be called gracious stiffness, and moved her skirts a fraction of an inch to make room for Judith.

Mrs. Buck was thankful that some church friends were found by whom she might sit and be as inconspicuous as possible. She would have been frightened beyond words if she had been forced to sit by Miss Ann Peyton. Not so Judith! The girl looked levelly into the old woman's eyes and then sat down.

”I want to thank you for the toilet water you sent to me by my servant. It was very kind of you,” said Miss Ann.

”I loved to do it.”

”Why did you?”

”I don't know. Perhaps because ever since I was a tiny little girl I have watched you go driving by on the pike and I've always wanted to give you a present. Sometimes I used to pick flowers and hide behind the fence, thinking maybe I could stop your carriage and give them to you, but I was too shy, and old Billy always looked so fierce--as though he were taking the Queen to Windsor. But I used to make up stories about you and your coach and now I am too big and old to make up silly stories and no longer shy and hiding behind hedges, but I kind of felt that the toilet water might be the essence of the flowers I used to pick for you when I was a little girl--the ones you never got.”

”Ah, indeed!” was all Miss Ann said, but she sought the girl's hand and held it a moment in the folds of her billowing lace dress.

Then the music started and the ball had begun and Major Fitch was bowing low in front of Miss Ann, claiming the first quadrille, and Colonel Crutcher was holding out his hands for Judith.

”Dance in the set with me,” Miss Ann whispered to Judith, as though they were girls together.

Of course n.o.body dances quadrilles in these jazz days, but the old men had stipulated that the band from Louisville must know how to play for quadrille and lancers and dusty old music had been unearthed and now the ball was opened with an old-fas.h.i.+oned quadrille, with Pete Barnes calling the figures with the gusto of one practiced in the art.

”Swing your partner! Balance all! Swing the corners! Ladies change!

Sashay all! First couple to the right, bow and swing! Second couple to the right--do the same thing! Bow and swing! Bow and swing! Third couple to the right--do the same thing! Bow and swing! Bow and swing!

Right and left all around--bow to your partner! Promenade all!”

Miss Ann and her partner glided and dipped and bowed, Miss Ann tripping and mincing and Major Fitch pointing his toes and crooking his elbows with much elegance and occasionally taking fancy steps to the edification of all beholders.