him the letters and departs. The next morning, Meggs feels unusually well. He realizes the exercise of running helped him, and plans to seek a fitness trainer in London. "The Man with Two Left Feet" US: The Saturday Evening Post, 18 March 1916 UK: The Strand Magazine, May 1916 (source for this book) Plot Henry Wallace Mills is a bank teller in New York. Henry spends his vacation at Ye Bonnie Briar-Bush Farm, where he meets Minnie Mill. She looks tired, and explains she has been dancing in the city. Henry is not a dancer and prefers to spend his free time reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica, but he is able to impress Minnie with his knowledge. They fall in love and get married. Their first year together is very happy, with Minnie often listening to him reading the Encyclopaedia aloud. The anniversary of their wedding comes, and they have supper at Geisenheimer's. Henry notices his former colleague Sidney Mercer there. Sidney is now a professional dancer at Geisenheimer's. Sidney notices Henry and Minnie aren't dancing. Henry admits he doesn't dance, and encourages Minnie to dance with Sidney. Henry thinks Minnie must find life with him dull, and resolves to learn to dance. He keeps this secret from her in order to surprise her on her birthday. He takes private dancing lessons, instructed by Madame Gavarni and her niece. Minnie seems to grow distant. Henry thinks she is bored, and looks forward to surprising her with dancing. On Minnie's birthday, he brings her to Geisenheimer's. Sidney asks Minnie to dance, but Henry declares he will dance with her. They dance, and Henry, unused to dancing in a crowd, ends up hitting other dancers and embarrassing himself. Henry and Minnie return to their flat, and he apologizes to her. He explains that he took dancing lessons secretly to make things less dull for her. She is thrilled to hear this, because she had seen Henry with Madame Gavarni's niece and had misunderstood. She assures Henry she does not find their life dull. In fact, she was tired when she met Henry because she was a dancing instructor and hated it. She truly enjoys listening to him read, and asks him to read her something out of the Encyclopaedia, which he gladly does. Publication history In the Strand (UK), Alfred Leete illustrated "Bill the Bloodhound", "The Making of Mac's", "Black for Luck", and