"I--eh--ain't no great shakes of an--eh--orator," he began,
apologetically, waving one hand toward his gasping rival, "like
Mr.--eh--Moffat. I can't sling words round--eh--reckless, like
the--eh--gent what just had the floor, ner--eh--spout poetry, but I
reckon--eh--I kin git out--eh--'bout what I got to say. Mr. Moffat
has--eh--told you what the--eh--Bachelor Miners' Club--eh--has been
a-doin'. He--eh--spread it on pretty blame thick, but--eh--I reckon
they ain't--eh--all of 'em miners round this yere--eh--camp. As
the--eh--president of the--eh--Cattlemen's Shakespearian--eh--Reading
Circle, I am asked to present to--eh--Miss Spencer a slight
token--eh--of our esteem, and--eh--to express our pleasure
at--eh--being permitted," he bowed to the choking Mr. Moffat, "eh--to
participate in this--eh--most glorious occasion."
He stepped forward, and dropped into Miss Spencer's lap a small
plush-covered box. Her fingers pressed the spring, and, as the lid
flew open, the brilliant flash of a diamond dazzled her eyes. She sat
staring at it, unable for the moment to find speech. Then the
assemblage burst into an unrestrained murmur of admiration, and the
sound served to arouse her.
"Oh, how beautiful it all is!" she exclaimed, rapturously. "I hardly
know what to say, or whom to thank. I never heard of anything so
perfectly splendid before. It makes me cry just to remember that it is
all done for me. Oh, Mr. Moffat, I want to thank, through you, the
gentlemen of the Bachelors' Club for this magnificent reception. I
know I do not deserve it, but it makes me so proud to realize the
interest you all take in my work. And, Mr. McNeil, I beg you to return
my gratitude to the gentlemen of the--the (oh, thank you)--the
Cattlemen's Shakespearian Reading Circle (how very nice of you to have
such an organization for the study of higher literature!) for this
superb gift. I shall never forget this night, or what it has brought
me, and I simply cannot express my real feelings at all; I--I don't
know what to say, or--or what to do."
She paused, burying her face in her hands, her body shaken with sobs.
Moffat, scarcely knowing whether to swear or smile, hastily signalled
for the waiting musicians to begin. As they swung merrily into waltz
measure he stepped forward, fully confident of his first claim for that
opening dance, and vaguely conscious that, once upon the floor with
her, he might thus regain his old leadership. Miss Spencer glanced up
at him through her tears.
"I--I really feel scarcely equal to the attempt," she murmured
nervously, yet rising to her feet. Then a new thought seemed suddenly
to occur to her. "Oh, Mr. Moffat, I have been so highly favored, and I
am so extremely anxious to do everything I can to show my gratitude. I
know it is requesting so much of you to ask your relinquishment of this
first dance with me to-night. As president of the Bachelors' Club it
is your right, of course, but don't you truly think I ought to give it
to Mr. McNeil? We were together all the way from the house, you know,
and we had such a delightful walk. You wouldn't truly mind yielding up
your claim for just this once, would you?"