"It's a
Namerican dance."

"What are we coming to? Go tell Prue to come here at once. I'll put a
stop to that right here and now."

Serina gave him one searing glance, and he understood that he could not
deliver his edict to Prue yet awhile. He heard her singing even more
barbaric strains. The chandelier danced with a peculiar savagery, then
the dance was evidently quenched and subdued. Awestruck yowls from above
indicated that Prue was in hot water.

"This is the last straw!" groaned papa, with all the wretchedness of a
father learning that his daughter was gone to the bad.

IV

Prue did not appear below-stairs for so long that her father had lost
his magnificent running start by the time she sauntered in all sleek and
shiny and asked for her food. She brought a radiant grace into the dull
gray room; and Serina whispered to Will to let her have her breakfast
first.

She and Ollie waited on Prue, while the father paced the floor, stealing
sidelong glances at her, and wondering if it were possible that so sweet
a thing should be as vicious as she would have to be to tango.

When she had scoured her plate and licked her spoon with a child-like
charm her father began to crank up his throat for a tirade. He began
with the reluctant horror of a young attorney cross-examining his first
murderer:

"Prue--I want to--to--er--Prue, do you--did you--ever--This--er--this
tango business--Prue--have you--do you--er--What do you know about it?"

"Well, of course, papa, they change it so fast on you it's hard to keep
up with it, but I was about three days ahead of Chicago when I left
there. I met with a man who had just stepped off the twenty-hour train
and I learned all he knew before I turned him loose."

In a strangled tone the father croaked, "You dance it, then?"

"You bet! Papa, stand up and I'll show you the very newest roll. It's a
peach. Put your weight on your right leg. Say, it's a shame we haven't a
phonograph! Don't you suppose you could afford a little one? I could
have you all in fine form in no time. And it would be so good for
mamma."

Papa fell back into a chair with just strength enough to murmur, "I want
you to promise me never to dance it again."

"Don't be foolish, you dear old bump-on-a-log!"

"I forbid you to dance it ever again."

She laughed uproariously: "Listen at the old Skeezicks! Get up here and
I'll show you the cutest dip."

When at last he grew angry, and made her realize it, sh