said, haughtily, as I drew away from him the fraction of an inch that
came very near making us collide with Sue and Billy, who were dancing
wildly, but in perfect accord.

"You'll have to when you hear the worst," answered Sam, as he firmly
pressed my shoulder into his while he manoeuvered me first past Edith
and Tolly and then across right in front of Pink Herriford, who weighs
all of two hundred, dancing with Julia Buford, who must tip the scales
at one hundred and sixty. It was a hairbreadth rapture of escape.

"Is anything the matter with the cows or anybody else?" I demanded,
anxiously, from his shoulder.

"Worse!"

"Oh, Sam, has anything died at The Briers?"

"Worse," he answered again, while he defied Tolly with a double cross
and then took a chance with Pink and Julia as I pressed him closer with
my arms and my questions.

"Dance me out on the porch through the window and tell me, Sam," I
demanded.

"Not when this music and Julia and Pink hold out like that, Bettykin.
It'll be bad enough when you do hear it," answered Sam, laughing down at
me with the same wide-mouthed smile he had always used on me when
holding something over my head and making me reach up for it. "Besides,
it has been two whole weeks since I've--had you," he added, and again
his strong arms cradled as well as guided. Getting back into some