gan to compete with the music. Then Penrod allowed himself
to be shoved out among the circling dancers, so that he collided with
Marjorie and Maurice Levy, almost oversetting them.

He made a mock bow and a mock apology, being inspired to invent a jargon
phrase.

"Excuse me," he said, at the same time making vocal his own conception
of a taunting laugh. "Excuse me, but I must 'a' got your bumpus!"

Marjorie looked grieved and turned away with Maurice; but the boys in
the doorway squealed with maniac laughter.

"Gotcher bumpus! Gotcher bumpus!" they shrilled. And they began to push
others of their number against the dancing couples, shouting, "'Scuse
me! Gotcher bumpus!"

It became a contagion and then a game. As the dances went on, strings
of boys, led by Penrod, pursued one another across the rooms, howling,
"Gotcher bumpus!" at the top of their lungs. They dodged and ducked,
and seized upon dancers as shields; they caromed from one couple into
another, and even into the musicians of the orchestra. Boys who were
dancing abandoned their partners and joined the marauders, shrieking,
"Gotcher bumpus!" Potted plants went down; a slender gilt chair refused
to support the hurled body of Master Roderick Magsworth Bitts, and the
sound of splintering wood mingled with other sounds. Dancing became
impossible; Miss Amy Rennsdale wept in the midst of the riot, and
everybody knew that Penrod Schofield had "started it".

Under instructions, the leader of the orchestra, clapping his hands for
attention, stepped to the centre of the drawing-room, and shouted,

"A moment silence, if you bleace!"

Slowly the hubbub ceased; the virtuous and the wicked paused alike in
their courses to listen. Miss Amy Rennsdale was borne away to have her
tearful face washed, and Marjorie Jones and Carlie Chitten and Georgie
Bassett came forward consciously, escorted by Miss Lowe. The musician
waited until the return of the small hostess; then he announced in a
loud voice:

"A fency dence called 'Les Papillons', denced by Miss Amy Rennstul, Miss
Chones, Mister Chorch Passett, ant Mister Jitten. Some young chentlemen
haf mate so much noise ant confoosion Miss Lowe wish me to ask bleace no
more such a nonsense. Fency dence, 'Les Papillons'."

Thereupon, after formal salutations, Mr. Chitten took Marjorie's hand,
Georgie Bassett took Miss Rennsdale's, and they proceeded to dance "Les
Papillons" in a manner that made up in conscientiousness whatever