Bab: A Sub-Deb Read Online Free PDF Page A

minute."
    We were early, of course. My mother beleives in being on time, and besides, she and Sis wanted the motor later. And while Hannah was on her knees taking off my carriage boots, I suddenly decided that I could not go down. Hannah turned quite pale when I told her.
    "What'll your mother say?" she said." And you with your new dress and all! It's as much as my life is worth to take you back home now, Miss Barbara."
    Well, that was true enough. There would be a Riot if I went home, and I knew it.
    "I'll see the Stuard and get you a cup of tea," Hannah said. "Tea sets me up like anything when I'm nervous. Now please be a good girl, Miss Barbara, and don't run off, or do anything foolish."
    She wanted me to promise, but I would not, although I could not have run anywhere. My legs were entirely numb.
    In a half hour at the utmost I knew all would be known, and very likely I would be a homless wanderer on the earth. For I felt that never, never could I return to my Dear Ones, when my terrable actions became known.
    Jane came in while I was sipping the tea and she stood off and eyed me with sympathy.
    "I don't wonder, Bab!" she said. "The idea of your Familey acting so outragously! And look here" She bent over me and whispered it. "Don't trust Carter too much. He is perfectly in fatuated with Leila, and he will play into the hands of the enemy. BE CAREFUL."
    "Loathesome creature!" was my response. "As for trusting him, I trust no one, these days."
    "I don't wonder your Faith is gone," she observed. But she was talking with one eye on a mirror.
    "Pink makes me pale," she said. "I'll bet the maid has a drawer full of rouge. I'm going to see. How about a touch for you? You look gastly."
    "I don't care how I look," I said, recklessly. "I think I'll sprain my ankle and go home. Anyhow I am not allowed to use rouge."
    "Not allowed!" she observed. "What has that got to do with it? I don't understand you, Bab; you are totaly changed."
    "I am suffering," I said. I was to.
    Just then the maid brought me a folded note. Hannah was hanging up my wraps, and did not see it. Jane's eyes fairly bulged.
    "I hope you have saved the Cotillion for me," it said. And it was signed. H----!
    "Good gracious," Jane said breathlessly."Don't tell me he is here, and that that's from him!"
    I had to swallow twice before I could speak. Then I said, solemnly:
    "He is here, Jane. He has followed me. I am going to dance the Cotillion with him although I shall probably be disinherited and thrown out into the World, as a result."
    I have no recollection whatever of going down the staircase and into the ballroom. Although I am considered rather brave, and once saved one of the smaller girls from drowning, as I need not remind the school, when she was skating on thin ice, I was frightened. I remember that, inside the door, Jane said "Courage!" in a low tence voice, and that I stepped on somebody's foot and said "Certainly" instead of apologizing. The shock of that brought me around somewhat, and I managed to find Mrs. Adams and Elaine, and not disgrace myself. Then somebody at my elbow said:
    "All right, Barbara. Everything's fixed."
    It was Carter.
    "He's waiting in the corner over there," he said. "We'd better go through the formalaty of an introduction. He's positively twittering with excitement."
    "Carter" I said desparately. "I want to tell you somthing first. I've got myself in an awful mess. I----"
    "Sure you have," he said. "That's why I'm here, to help you out. Now you be calm, and there's no reason why you two can't have the evening of your young lives. I wish ~I~ could fall in Love. It must be bully."
    "Carter----!"
    "Got his note, didn't you?"
    "Yes, I----"
    "Here we are," said Carter. "Miss Archibald, I would like to present Mr. Grosvenor."
    Somebody bowed in front of me, and then straightened up and looked down at me. IT WAS THE MAN OF THE PICTURE, LITTLE MUSTACHE AND ALL. My mouth went perfectly dry.
    It is all very well to talk about Romance and