Dan The Newsboy 30
"A boy who sells papers in front of the Astor House is not a suitable
guest at a fashionable party."
"That is not your affair," said Dan, coldly. "But it is not true that I
sell papers anywhere."
"Oh, I forgot. You're a shop-boy now. You used to sell papers, though."
"And I will again, if necessary," answered Dan, as he took Tom's place
in front of the glass and began to arrange his toilet.
Then, for the first time, Tom took notice that Dan was dressed as well
as himself, in a style with which the most captious critic could not
find fault. Tom was both surprised and disappointed. He would have liked
to see Dan in awkward, ill-fitting, or shabby clothes. It seemed to him
that an ex-newsboy had no right to dress so well, and he was greatly
puzzled to understand how he could afford it.
"Where did you borrow those clothes?" he asked, impudently.
"Where did you borrow yours?" retorted Dan.
"Don't be saucy."
"You set me the example."
"It is not remarkable that I should be well dressed. I can afford it."
"So can I," answered Dan, laconically.
"Do you mean to say that you bought that suit and paid for it?"
"I do."
"It must have taken all your money."
"You are very kind to take so much interest in me. It may relieve your
mind to see this."
Dan took a roll of bills from his pocket, and displayed them to the
astonished Tom.
"I don't see where you got so much money," said Tom, mystified.
"I've got more in the bank," said Dan. "I mention it to you that you
needn't feel bad about my extravagance in buying a party suit."
"I wouldn't have come to this party if I had been you," said Tom,
changing his tone.
"Why not?"
"You'll be so awkward, you know. You don't know any one except Miss
Rogers, who, of course, invited you out of pity, not expecting you would
accept."
"Did she tell you so?" asked Dan, smiling.
"No, but it stands to reason."
"You forget I know you," said Dan, smiling again.
"I beg you won't presume upon our former slight acquaintance," said Tom,
hastily. "I shall be so busily occupied that I really can't give you any
attention."
"Then I must shift for myself, I suppose," said Dan, good-humoredly.
"Shall we go down?"
"Go first, if you like," said Tom, superciliously. "I will follow
directly."
"He doesn't want to go down with me," thought Dan. "Perhaps I shall
surprise him a little;" and he made his way down stairs.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
DAN AT THE PARTY.
As Dan entered the parlors he saw the young lady in whose honor the
party was given only a few feet distant.
He advanced with perfect ease, and paid his respects.
"I am very glad to see you here this evening, Mr. Mordaunt," said Julia,
cordially.
"What a handsome boy he is!" she thought. "I had no idea he would look
so well."
Mentally she pronounced him the handsomest young gentleman present.
"Take your partners for a quadrille, young gentlemen," announced the
master of ceremonies.
"Are you engaged, Miss Rogers?" asked Dan.
"Not as yet," answered the young lady, smiling.
"Then may I have the honor?"
"Certainly."
So it happened that as Tom Carver entered the room, he beheld, to his
intense surprise and disgust, Dan leading the young hostess to her place
in the quadrille.
"What a cheek that fellow has!" said Tom to himself. "I suppose he
never attempted to dance in his life. It will be fun to watch his
awkwardness. I am very much surprised that Julia should condescend to
dance with him--a common newsboy."
At first Tom thought he wouldn't dance, but Mrs. Rogers approaching
said:
"Tom, there's Jane Sheldon. She has no partner."
Accordingly Tom found himself leading up a little girl of eight.
There was no place except in the quadrille in which Dan and Julia Rogers
were to dance. Tom found himself one of the "sides."
"Good-evening, Julia," he said, catching the eye of Miss Rogers.
"Good-evening, Tom. You are late."
"I am too late to be your partner."
"Yes, but you see I am not left a wall-flower," said the young lady,
smiling. "Mr. Mordaunt kindly relieved me of that apprehension."
"You are fortunate," said Tom, sneering.
"I leave my partner to thank you for that compliment," said Julia,
determined not to gratify Tom by appearing to understand the sneer.
"There's no occasion," said Tom, rudely.
"I am glad of it," said Dan, "for I am so unused to compliments that I
am afraid I should answer awkwardly."
"I can very well believe that," returned Tom, significantly.
Julia did not smile. She looked offended rather for she felt that
rudeness to her partner reflected upon herself.
But here the music struck up, and the quadrille began.
"Now for awkwardness," said Tom to himself, and he watched Dan closely.
But, to his surprise, nothing could be neater or better modulated than
Dan's movements. Instead of hopping about, as Tom thought he would, he
was thoroughly graceful.
"Where could the fellow have learned to dance?" he asked himself, in
disappointment.
Julia was gratified; for, to tell the truth, she too had not been
altogether without misgivings on the subject of Dan's dancing, and,
being herself an excellent dancer, she would have found it a little
disagreeable if Dan had proved awkward.
The quadrille proceeded, and Tom was chagrined that the newsboy, as he
mentally termed Dan, had proved a better dancer than himself.
"Oh, well, it's easy to dance in a quadrille," he said to himself, by
way of consolation. "He won't venture on any of the round dances."
But as Dan was leading Julia to her seat he asked her hand in the next
polka, and was graciously accepted.
He then bowed and left her, knowing that he ought not to monopolize the
young hostess.
Although Tom had told Dan not to expect any attentions from him, he was
led by curiosity to accost our hero.
"It seems that newsboys dance," said he.
"Does it?" asked Dan, indifferently.
"But it was not in very good taste for you to engage Miss Rogers for the
first dance."
"Why not?"
"It was making yourself too prominent."
"Somebody had to be prominent, or Miss Rogers would have been left to
dance by herself."
"There are others who would have made more suitable partners for her."
"Yourself, for instance."
"Yes."
"I am sorry to have stood in your way."
"Oh, you needn't mind. I shall have plenty of opportunities of dancing
with her, and you won't. I suppose she took pity on you, as you know no
other young lady here."
Just then a pretty girl, beautifully dressed, approached Dan.
"Good-evening, Mr. Mordaunt," she said, offering her hand with a beaming smile.
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