“But I’m not going to dance; I only want to look on a little while,” begged Blue Earth, as humbly as a child.
“All the white people do that; even the Little Father himself,” pronounced Grandmother.
“Then, will you promise to come home as soon as it is dark?”
But, like another Cinderella, she forgot, and lingered near an open window of the large, circular dance-house, her baby asleep on her back, gazing fascinated on the gorgeous, barbaric spectacle of painted, half-clad men executing their wonderful steps and poses, till aroused by a touch on her arm and a sweet, reproachful voice in her ear. And this is the true story of how the field matron chanced to be observed by old Standing Cloud and others, in the outer circle of the Grass Dance after dark of a balmy September evening, a fact which came duly to Jack Pepper’s ears and made her some little trouble, later on.
STELLA DARLING: If you only knew how we miss you here in Laurel! It seems like years since you went away; can it be it’s only nine months? And you don’t write half as often as you promised. I wonder what you are really and truly up to!
“Have you picked out your allotment yet? Be sure and get a good one. Oh, how I wish I were twenty-one this minute! Daddy perfectly understands that the very day I come of age I shall start on the long journey to Dakota, to join my dear friend Stella and stock that cattle ranch.
“Of course, you will want to hear all the news. Doris has been spending two weeks in Boston with her uncle—the rich one. What do you think? she went to the Symphony Orchestra twice, and to the opera once, and to two—no, three dances! She has the loveliest braided suit in a perfectly exquisite shade of blue; and a set of chinchilla furs for Christmas; and two new party dresses and a pale-blue evening cape lined with salmon that is simply a dream. I can’t tell you half. Doris is getting to be a _regular society girl_; and that, you know, Jibby, I never wanted to be and never will.
“Mother bought me a handsome suit, too—mine is the new copper shade—and a stylish hat; and Daddy would have taken me to New York on his last trip, but just then poor old Scotty had to break his leg, and of course I wouldn’t stir for _worlds_.