Maid" for their two weeks' stay, their former fears and misgivings were
entirely forgotten. They remembered only that they had come into their
own again through the generosity of Mrs. Curtis, and for her sake were
willing to brave even "Society."

* * * * *

The ballroom of the great hotel at Old Point Comfort was crowded with
dancers. It was an official military ball. The army officers were in
full-dress uniforms. The midshipmen from the fleet were in white. There
was a large sprinkling of naval officers from the battleships in the
harbor at Hampton Roads. Many of them were foreigners, as there were
several ships of other nations anchored there. There were beautiful
women in beautiful gowns and wonderful jewels. Altogether it was a
scene calculated to make a lively impression upon Madge and her
friends, and it was with rapidly beating hearts that, in company with
Mrs. Curtis, Madeleine and Tom, they entered the brilliantly lighted
ballroom which contained for them no familiar faces.

"Oh, dear, Miss Jenny Ann," whispered Eleanor, keeping close to her
chaperon's side, "why did we ever imagine we could appear at home in a
place like this? I wish we had not come." Her distress looked out from
her brown eyes as she watched the throng of fashionably dressed women
and uniformed men swaying and gliding in the figures of one of the new
dances that had taken society by storm.

"Don't be afraid, Nell," returned Phil, fighting down her
self-consciousness, "they are just mere men and women. Besides, they
are too busy to think of us."

Just then an elderly man in uniform, accompanied by a woman of about
his own age, stepped forward and claimed the attention of the Curtises.
For the moment the girls, who were following their friends, became
separated from them by the dancers. Realizing that they were too near
the center of the ballroom for comfort, the little party stepped back,
edging nearer the wall. Madge, too fully absorbed in the gay scene
before her to see just where she was going, collided with a young
woman, who, accompanied by two young men, was coming from the opposite
direction. Before she could apologize an unpleasant voice broke upon
the ears of the houseboat party with disconcerting distinctness.

"Oh, dear, let us move out of the way, if we can. It is quite evident
that certain other persons have no intention of doing so. Such
stupidity! Still, what can one expect from a cro