to play Proverbs and Twenty
Questions, but she did not quite like to begin anything so childish at
a real dance. She looked at the clock: just nine. The evening was yet
young.

Suddenly Angela Baxter stopped murmuring to Lydia, and began to rattle
a quick two step from the piano. Robert Archer, sitting next to Martie,
asked her at once to dance, and Potter Street asked Sally, but both
girls, glancing self-consciously at their guests, declined, and the
young men subsided. So nobody danced the first dance, and after it
there was another lull. Then Martie cheerfully asked Angela for a
waltz, and said bravely:

"Come on, some of you, DO dance this! I can't because I'm hostess."

At this there was some subdued laughter, and immediately the four young
men found partners, and two of the girls danced together. Then little
Billy Frost came in, and after him, as fresh and sweet as her name,
came Rose with the Monroe's only dentist, Bruce Tate. Dr. Tate was a
rather heavy young man, flirtatious and conceited.

Rose put her violin on the piano, and explained that she had met Rodney
Parker that afternoon, "hadn't seen him for YEARS!" and that he had
talked her into coming. No--she wouldn't play until later laughed Rose;
now she wanted to dance.

The hours that followed seemed to Martie like years. She never forgot
them. She urged her guests into every dance with almost physical force;
she felt for the girls who did not dance a nervous pity. Ida and May
came in: neither danced, nor was urged to dance. They went home at ten
o'clock. It was immediately afterward that Rodney came with his friend.
Martie met them in the hall, ready for the intimate word, the smile
that should make all this tiresome business of lights and piano and
sandwiches worth while. Rodney was a little flushed and noisy, Alvah
red-faced, breathing and speaking a little thickly. They said they were
thirsty.

"Lemonade?" Martie suggested confidently.

Rodney glanced quickly at his friend. "Oh, Gawd!" said Mr. Brigham
simply.

Then they were in the hot parlour, and Martie was introducing them to a
circle that smiled and said "Pleased to meet choo," over and over.
Alvah would not dance, remarking that he hated dancing. And
Rodney--Rodney had eyes for no one but Rose. Martie saw it, every one
saw it.

Rose was at her best to-night. She knew college songs that Rodney and
Alvah knew, she dimpled and coquetted with the pretty confidence of a
kitten. She stood u