Who Was to Blame.

Otago Witness, Issue 2727, 20 June 1906, Page 79

Who Was to Blame.

"Thank you," said the girl bitterly.

"Dear me!" exclaimed the nervous young man in agony. ~~"I didn't tread on your dress, did I?"

"Didn't tread on my drees? Oh, dear, no. Of course not. It's torn all to rags, but, of course, you didn't tread on it. A fly must have settled upon it. I suppose."

I almost thought I heard

"I'm so sorry, something go."

"Then you guessed right first time," snapped the girl.

"But I was being so particularly careful. Raally, I hardly know what to say." '"Don't you? Then we'd better change the subject."

"I wouldn't have had it happen for a deal of money," he pleaded fervently.

"No more would I. Please don't keep on apologising. You don't do it very well, and it makes no difference, v *nyhcw. If one is idiot enough to be persuaded into going to a dance of this sort. I suppose one must take one's chance of the kind of thing one meets. After all, it was my own fault."

"No, no !" stammered the young man. "It was -my fault ; mine entirely. How could it be your fault?" "Because," the girl said, with -a slow and measured intonation, "I ought to havo seen that there wasn't room enough on any floor for your feet and the tail of my dress. *Well, as you don't seem to be able to say you're sorry, you won't mind if I appear to leave you. I've got- to borrow about 600 pins from somewhere or other — or else go home."

And the cheap muslin ewished viciously away from him. and left him desolate to blame his clumsiness.