ed off by
herself and with nothing to relieve her dependence upon whoever may come
near her. To liken a charming young girl in the prettiest of frocks to a
spider is not very courteous; and yet the role of spider is what she is
forced by the exigencies of ballroom etiquette to play. She _must_ catch a
fly, meaning a trousered companion, so as not to be left in placarded
disgrace; and having caught him she must hang on to him until another
takes his place.

There should be drastic revision of ballroom customs. There is a desperate
need of what in local dancing classes was called the "Dump," where without
rudeness a gentleman could leave a lady as soon as they had finished
dancing.

There used to be a chaperon into whose care a young girl could be
committed; there used to be the "dance card", or programme (still in vogue
at public balls) that allotted a certain dance to a certain gentleman and
lady equally. There used to be the cotillion which, while cruel, at least
committed its acts of cruelty with merciful dispatch. When the cotillion
began, the girl who had no partner--went home. She had to. Now, once she
has acquired a companion, he is planted beside her until another takes his
place. It is this fact and no other which is responsible for the dread
that the average young girl feels in facing the ordeal of a ballroom, and
for the discourteous unconcern shown by dancing men who under other
conditions would be friendly.

The situation of a young girl, left cruelly alone, draws its own picture,
but the reason for the callous and ill-mannered behavior of the average
dancing man, may perhaps need a word of explanation.

For instance: Jim Smartlington, when he was a senior at college, came down
to the Toploftys' ball on purpose to see Mary Smith. Very early, before
Mary arrived, he saw a Miss Blank, a girl he had met at a dinner in
Providence, standing at the entrance of the room. Following a casual
impulse of friendliness he asked her to dance. She danced badly. No one
"cut in" and they danced and danced, sat down and danced again. Mary
arrived. Jim walked Miss Blank near the "stag" line and introduced several
men, who bowed and slid out of sight with the dexterity of eels who
recognized a hook. From half-past ten until supper at half-past one, Jim
was "planted." He was then forced to tell her he had a partner for supper,
and left her at the door of the dressing-room. There was no other place to
"leave her." He felt lik