Bear Creek babies and children always
went with their parents to a dance, because nurses were unknown. So
little Alfred and Christopher lay there among the wraps, parallel and
crosswise with little Taylors, and little Carmodys, and Lees, and all
the Bear Creek offspring that was not yet able to skip at large and
hamper its indulgent elders in the ball-room.

"Why, Lin ain't hyeh yet!" said the Virginian, looking in upon the
people. There was Miss Wood, standing up for the quadrille. "I didn't
remember her hair was that pretty," said he. "But ain't she a little,
little girl!"

Now she was in truth five feet three; but then he could look away down
on the top of her head.

"Salute your honey!" called the first fiddler. All partners bowed to
each other, and as she turned, Miss Wood saw the man in the doorway.
Again, as it had been at South Fork that day, his eyes dropped from
hers, and she divining instantly why he had come after half a year,
thought of the handkerchief and of that scream of hers in the river, and
became filled with tyranny and anticipation; for indeed he was fine to
look upon. So she danced away, carefully unaware of his existence.

"First lady, centre!" said her partner, reminding her of her turn. "Have
you forgotten how it goes since last time?"

Molly Wood did not forget again, but quadrilled with the most sprightly
devotion.

"I see some new faces to-night," said she, presently.

"Yu' always do forget our poor faces," said her partner.

"Oh, no! There's a stranger now. Who is that black man?"

"Well--he's from Virginia, and he ain't allowin' he's black."

"He's a tenderfoot, I suppose?"

"Ha, ha, ha! That's rich, too!" and so the simple partner explained a
great deal about the Virginian to Molly Wood. At the end of the set she
saw the man by the door take a step in her direction.

"Oh," said she, quickly, to the partner, "how warm it is! I must see
how those babies are doing." And she passed the Virginian in a breeze of
unconcern.

His eyes gravely lingered where she had gone. "She knowed me right
away," said he. He looked for a moment, then leaned against the door.
"'How warm it is!' said she. Well, it ain't so screechin' hot hyeh; and
as for rushin' after Alfred and Christopher, when their natural motheh
is bumpin' around handy--she cert'nly can't be offended?" he broke
off, and looked again where she had gone. And then Miss Wood passed him
brightly again, and was dancing the schotti