But at last the poor little devotee, the
ardent worshiper of the twin idols, worn out by thinking of it all fell
asleep.
Over on Blank Street, in another part of town that day, another
worshiper and her devoted mother had been talking over plans for the
future. Both were "climbers," at least they thought it was climbing.
They had social ambitions and it was whispered by their enemies that
they intended, at whatever cost to enter the inner circle of those who
worshiped the idols. Last year the young girl who wanted to go to
college had "come out." It had been a wonderful season but it had left
her with a pale face and dark circles under her lovely eyes. The rest
cure had done much for her but her physician had said another season in
town would undo all that had been done. Her mother was loath to believe
it. She had always been able to dismiss her husband's arguments and had
done so successfully the night before when he plead for a year of
roughing it in the west, society forgotten and the things of nature for
amusement and fun. "If we drop out now," she told her daughter, "all is
lost." And so they made their plans. The daughter was not an adept in
learning the rapid succession of combination dances wherein orientalism,
the harem, the submerged tenth, and the various beasts of the field and
fowls of the barnyard figured, so the first step was to secure a teacher
who would correct her errors and give her skill in the performances
which had robbed so many of her friends of all reserve and had taught
them the abandonment of motion.
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