Booth Tarkington

“ A coarse chuckle, a half-suppressed snort, assailed William's scarlet ear, and from the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Joe Bullitt gliding by, suffused; while over Joe's detested shoulder could be seen the adorable and piquant face of the One girl—also suffused.
"Doggone it!" William panted.
"Oh, you mustn't be discouraged with yourself," said Miss Boke, genially. "I've met lots of Men that had trouble to get started and turned out to be right good dancers, after all. It seems to me we're kind of workin' against each other. ”

“ He had a helpless feeling, fully warranted by the circumstances. Also, he soon became aware that Miss Boke's powerful "guiding" was observed by the public; for, after one collision, more severe than others, a low voice hissed in his ear:
"She won't hurt you much, Silly Bill. she's only in fun!"
This voice belonged to the dancer with whom he had just been in painful contact, Johnnie Watson. However, Johnnie had whirled far upon another orbit before William found a retort, and then it was a feeble one.
"I wish you'd try a few dances with her!" ”

“ He continued to stare at her, plainly having no comprehension of her meaning.
"Girl?" he echoed, in a tone of feeble inquiry.
She smiled and nodded, taking his arm. "You come with me," she said. "I'll fix you up!" ”

“ With a muscular power that was surprising, Miss Boke bore him out into the circling current, swung him round and round, walked him backward half across the platform, then swung him round and round and round again. For a girl, she "guided" remarkably well; nevertheless, a series of collisions, varying in intensity, marked the path of the pair upon the rather crowded platform. In such emergencies Miss Boke proved herself deft in swinging William to act as a buffer, and he several times found himself heavily stricken from the rear ”

“ You can have a bully time, even if you did come late." And, with the air of discharging happily all the obligations of which William had reminded him, he added, "I'll tell you that much, Bill!"
"Joe, you got to give me anyway one da—"
"Look!" said Mr. Bullitt, eagerly. "Look sittin' yonder, over under that tree all by herself! That's a visiting girl named Miss Boke; she's visiting some old uncle or something she's got livin' here, and I bet you could—"
"Joe, you got to—"
"I bet that Miss Boke's a good dancer, Bill," Joe continued, warmly. "May Parcher says so. ”