Page:Angna Enters - Among the Daughters.djvu/37

 Miss Shaver blushed. She seemed to have a hard time explaining.

"What I meant was, I wish I had a—friend—young—like you. How would you like to come to my place and spend the—afternoon—now and then this summer? I would show you many interesting—things." Her voice had become low and intimate, like when someone told you a secret.

"I guess I could do that," Lucy replied hesitantly because Miss Shaver was looking at her queerly, like Frank did.

"Shall we say next Wednesday?" coaxed Miss Shaver.

"I'll let you know after I ask Mother," Lucy said guardedly.

That night Lucy let Frank kiss her. Yes, Miss Shaver was gentler when she kissed you, more like Rudolph Valentino probably would be.

Later the same evening she told Mae about Miss Shaver, but only to persuade Mae to pull her belt tighter so as to have more shape. Lucy was surprised that Mother was embarrassed at mention of her large full breasts. She said, kind of flustered, a tight belt made her ache when she bent at work. Lucy thought not only boys but women were queer about themselves. Miss Shaver wanted you to see her breasts; Mother didn't like to be reminded of hers. And boys were always trying to touch you there.

She gave it up and stretched luxuriously. It was more exciting to think about dancing. Bending, stretching, and kicking is easy. Miss Klemper scolded when a grand battement went too high because it made a bad line. It was hard though to finish each step exactly, or not wobble after a tour jeté.

"Pas de bourrée assemble—pas de bourse assemblé." All those elegant French words.

"Turn out, keep your knees straight, keep your arms in first, second, third, fourth, oi fifth. Watch your balance. Watch your line. Keep your leg at waist level, turn out, smile," Miss Klemper kept saying. After three weeks of waiting for the pink satin slippers she was only allowed to roll up and down at the bar! Who would have thought little fast beats and steps would be harder to do than a split or high kick?

"You can't practice during my other classes," Miss Klemper said. But there were other hours while mother was working and there were no classes and sometimes Miss Klemper danced with her. Of course Miss Klemper could do hard steps and never lost her balance. Miss Klemper wore pink cotton bloomers and a cotton chemise under her costume—and even though she was skinny she looked Rh