dancing young ladies had met with a misfortune. Her dress, of
some gossamer material, had been looped up by nosegays of
flowers, and one of these had fallen off in the dance, leaving
her gown to trail. To repair this, she had begged her partner to
bring her to the room where the assistants should have been. None
were there but Ruth.

"Shall I leave you?" asked the gentleman. "Is my absence
necessary?"

"Oh, no!" replied the lady; "a few stitches will set all to
rights. Besides, I dare not enter that room by myself." So far
she spoke sweetly and prettily. But now she addressed Ruth. "Make
haste--don't keep me an hour!" And her voice became cold and
authoritative.

She was very pretty, with long dark ringlets and sparkling black
eyes. These had struck Ruth in the hasty glance she had taken,
before she knelt down to her task. She also saw that the
gentleman was young and elegant.

"Oh, that lovely galop! how I long to dance to it! Will it never
be done? What a frightful time you are taking; and I'm dying to
return in time for this galop!" By way of showing a pretty,
childlike impatience, she began to beat time with her feet to the
spirited air the band was playing. Ruth could not darn the rent
in her dress with this continual motion, and she looked up to
remonstrate. As she threw her head back for this purpose, she
caught the eye of the gentleman who was standing by; it was so
expressive of amusement at the airs and graces of his pretty