Edith Carr grew very white as she stood alone.  Her lips turned pale, while her dark eyes flamed with anger.  She stood perfectly still where Philip had left her, and the approaching men guided their partners around her, while the girls, looking back, could be seen making exclamations of surprise.

The idolized only daughter of the Carr family hoped that she would drop dead from mortification, but nothing happened.  She was too perverse to step aside and say that she was waiting for Philip.  Then came Tom Levering dancing with Polly Ammon.  Being in the scales with the Ammon family, Tom scented trouble from afar, so he whispered to Polly:  “Edith is standing in the middle of the floor, and she’s awful mad about something.”

“That won’t hurt her,” laughed Polly.  “It’s an old pose of hers.  She knows she looks superb when she is angry, so she keeps herself furious half the time on purpose.”

“She looks like the mischief!” answered Tom.  “Hadn’t we better steer over and wait with her?  She’s the ugliest sight I ever saw!”

“Why, Tom!” cried Polly.  “Stop, quickly!”

They hurried to Edith.

“Come dear,” said Polly.  “We are going to wait with you until Phil returns.  Let’s go after a drink.  I am so thirsty!”

“Yes, do!” begged Tom, offering his arm.  “Let’s get out of here until Phil comes.”

There was the opportunity to laugh and walk away, but Edith Carr would not accept it.

“My betrothed left me here,” she said.  “Here I shall remain until he returns for me, and then—­he will be my betrothed no longer!”

Polly grasped Edith’s arm.

“Oh, Edith!” she implored.  “Don’t make a scene here, and to-night.  Edith, this has been the loveliest dance ever given at the club house.  Every one is saying so.  Edith!  Darling, do come!  Phil will be back in a second.  He can explain!  It’s only a breath since I saw him go out.  I thought he had returned.”

As Polly panted these disjointed ejaculations, Tom Levering began to grow angry on her account.

“He has been gone just long enough to show every one of his guests that he will leave me standing alone, like a neglected fool, for any passing whim of his.  Explain!  His explanation would sound well!  Do you know for whom he caught that moth?  It is being sent to a girl he flirted with all last summer.  It has just occurred to me that the dress I am wearing is her suggestion.  Let him try to explain!”

Speech unloosed the fountain.  She stripped off her gloves to free her hands.  At that instant the dancers parted to admit Philip.  Instinctively they stopped as they approached and with wondering faces walled in Edith and Philip, Polly and Tom.

“Mighty good of you to wait!” cried Philip, his face showing his delight over his success in capturing the Yellow Emperor.  “I thought when I heard the music you were going on.”

“How did you think I was going on?” demanded Edith Carr in frigid tones.