He
was now in his glory. His fiddle was tucked under his chin, a red silk
handkerchief with large yellow polka dots protecting the violin from
injury from his stubbly beard rather than his chin from being injured by
the instrument.
[Illustration: "THE DEACON AND HIS WIFE LED OFF."]
After a few preliminary chords, Abner struck up the peculiar dance
movement very popular in those days, called "The Cure." As if
prearranged, Hiram Maxwell and Mandy Skinner ran to the centre of the
room and began singing the words belonging to the dance. Abner gradually
increased the speed of the melody, and the singers conformed, thereto.
Faster and faster the music went, and higher and higher the dancers
jumped until the ceiling prevented any further progress upward. They
leaned forward and backward, they leaned from side to side, but still
kept up their monotonous leaps into the air. Finally, when almost
exhausted, they sank into chairs hastily brought for them, amid the
applause of the party.
Quincy had seen the dance at the city theatres, but acknowledged to
himself that the country version was far ahead of the city one.
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