Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 August 1908 — THE MINUET. [ARTICLE]

THE MINUET.

*What do you think, girls—that old maid, Hepslbab Springer, is going to dance at our May festival! JDid you ever hear of. anything more ridiculous?’ And Dorothy Palmer tossed her head disdainfully at the thought of what to her seemed an unwarrantable proceeding. “Oh,* do tell us all about it, Dolly, dear! Come, tell us all you know.” “Well that will not take her very long,” chimed in one of the sweet girls, who did not regard Dorothy in a very favorable light, “I mean, of course, dear, it will not take you long to tell the story, for it is well known you have a wonderful faculty of condensing a vast amount of information in a few most refreshingly pungent remarks.” “If you girls will only be quiet,” remarked Dorothy, “I will tell you the little I know. /Today I went to Miss Villiers’ dancing class to practice the Maypole trot, and who should walk In but Hepsey. Miss Villiers bad one of her wretched headaches and was about to dismiss the class when what did that antiquated maiden do but step forward and volunteer to put the young folks through their paces. “Well, in justice to our village spinster, she knows a thing or two about steps, and Villiers became so interested that she forgot her headache and was most profuse in her compliments. *My dear Miss Hepsey,’ she said, ‘I thought myself capable of teaching these children, but here are you capable of teaching me. Will you not continue to assist me? Will you not introduce some old time dance? It will be such an innovation!’

*“I have not danced for years,’ answered Hepsey, and, would you believe it, girls, there were tears, in the poor old ‘But,’ she added. ‘I will comply with your request. Let me have my choice of these people and I will put tjiem through the evolutions of a minuet. We will costume in old fashioned clothes suitable for an old fashioned dance. I myself can wear a dress in which I last danced the minuet. almost forty years ago.’” The girls chatted merrily over the affair, and I am afraid poor Miss Hepsey was ridiculed without stint. But Hepsey went about her preparations for the dance with methodical precision. The chosen few who were to be in her set met nightly at her little cottage and to the melody of Mozart’s “Don Juan,” squeaked out of a wheeZJ toned piano, went through the movtz ments of the stately number in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. At last the night of the dance arrived. The town hall was peopled to its fullest capacity, for nearly every family in that and adjacent villages had a representative in one or another of the various dances. Many were there who remembered Miss Hepsey when she was a much younger woman. The gossips chattered among themselves and raked their memories, recallfug events in her early life. Some of them hinted at the cause of her state of single blessedness, if such it could be called, and every one was curious to see her dance.

Miss Hepsey was late in appearing, and her entrance was the cause of no little excitement and some admiration. She wore an old rose silk quilted petticoat. with an elaborately figured silk overdress. An old lace kerchief was folded over her breast, and on her feet were high heeled white slippers somewhat yellowed with age. To crown all, her scant hair was arranged over a cushion. That hair needed no powder. It whs already as white as newly fallen snow. Miss Villiers herself came forward to greet Miss'Hepsey. “Oh, my dear!” she said. “Whatever shall we do? Your partner has not come. I am afraid you will be very much annoyed, but the l>est we can do is to find a substitute for him. A Mr. Brooks, a new arrival in the village, has proffered his services. Do you mind?” If any one had closely observed Ilepsey at that moment it would bave.been noticed that a tinge of color had crept into her usually colorless face. “At such a time as this one cannot choose,” she said. “There Is no other alternative. Mr. Brooks is verj’ kind. I have no doubt that I will find him a most acceptable partner.” A moment later she found herself courtesying to a stately old gentleman who was attired in small clothes, appropriate to the costume of his partner. There was no time for any further exchange of formalities, for just then the orchestra began playing the Mozart air, and the dance i»egan. Poor Miss Hepsey was the personification of the grace of the old school. The audience applauded her every movement, and at the conclusion of the number it had to be repeated. Those who came to scoff remained to admire, and Hepsey. for reasons best known to herself, was supremely happy. It was not long after that when she left her little cottage and went to lire as mistress at the Grange, the finest residence in the place. Then the truth was revealed. Mr. Brooks was none other than' the sweetheart of Hepsey - s youth. The two had quarreled after having danced a minuet, and he had gone away. After forty years, rich, yet faithful, he returned to the woman of his choice. In this last minuet all the unpleasantness of the past was forgotten, and a reconciliation had been the result. . And Miss VHlfers-.\ having learned somewhat of the early state of affairs, ■was the good fairy who was the injstrnment of the reunipn, and in the years that followed she was the esteemed friend of Mrs. Hepsibab Brooks and husband.—Boston Poet.