Bab - A Sub Deb - Page 19/77

"Pink makes me pale," she said. "I'll bet the maid has a drawer full of

rouge. I'm going to see. How about a touch for you? You look gastly."

"I don't care how I look," I said, recklessly. "I think I'll sprain my

ankle and go home. Anyhow I am not allowed to use rouge."

"Not allowed!" she observed. "What has that got to do with it? I don't

understand you, Bab; you are totaly changed."

"I am suffering," I said. I was to.

Just then the maid brought me a folded note. Hannah was hanging up my

wraps, and did not see it. Jane's eyes fairly bulged.

"I hope you have saved the Cotillion for me," it said. And it was

signed. H----!

"Good gracious," Jane said breathlessly. "Don't tell me he is here, and

that that's from him!"

I had to swallow twice before I could speak. Then I said, solemnly: "He is here, Jane. He has followed me. I am going to dance the Cotillion

with him although I shall probably be disinherited and thrown out into

the World, as a result."

I have no recollection whatever of going down the staircase and into the

ballroom. Although I am considered rather brave, and once saved one of

the smaller girls from drowning, as I need not remind the school, when

she was skating on thin ice, I was frightened. I remember that, inside

the door, Jane said "Courage!" in a low tence voice, and that I stepped

on somebody's foot and said "Certainly" instead of apologizing. The

shock of that brought me around somewhat, and I managed to find Mrs.

Adams and Elaine, and not disgrace myself. Then somebody at my elbow

said: "All right, Barbara. Everything's fixed."

It was Carter.

"He's waiting in the corner over there," he said. "We'd better go

through the formalaty of an introduction. He's positively twittering

with excitement."

"Carter" I said desparately. "I want to tell you somthing first. I've

got myself in an awful mess. I----"

"Sure you have," he said. "That's why I'm here, to help you out. Now

you be calm, and there's no reason why you two can't have the evening of

your young lives. I wish I could fall in Love. It must be bully."

"Carter----!"

"Got his note, didn't you?"

"Yes, I----"

"Here we are," said Carter. "Miss Archibald, I would like to present Mr.

Grosvenor."