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expression softened. She did not bear malice, and she felt that she had
said more to Roy Dennis about his treatment of them than she should have
done. She, therefore, bowed pleasantly. Phil followed suit. To their
amazement they were greeted with a frozen stare by the newcomers, who
walked to where the two girls were standing without paying the least
attention to the latter. Madge's color rose to the very roots of her
hair. Phil's black eyes flashed, but she kept them steadily fixed on the
girl and man.

"How do you do, Mr. Holt?" asked Mabel in bland tones, addressing the
girls' companion. "I believe I am right in calling you Mr. Holt. I have
heard that you were a friend of Mrs. Curtis and her son. This is my
friend, Roy Dennis. We are so pleased to meet any of dear Mrs. Curtis's
_real_ friends. We should like to have you take tea with us."

Philip Holt looked perplexed. He opened his mouth to introduce Madge and
Phyllis to Miss Farrar, but the girls' expressions told the story.

Miss Farrar and Mr. Dennis had purposely excluded the two girls from the
conversation.

For the fraction of a second Philip Holt wavered. Mabel Farrar was
smartly dressed. Roy Dennis looked the rich, idle society man that he
was. Moneyed friends were always the most useful in Mr. Holt's opinion,
he therefore turned to Miss Farrar with, "I shall be only too pleased to
accompany you."

"You'll excuse me," he turned condescendingly to Madge and Phil, "but
Mrs. Curtis's friends wish me to have tea with them."

Madge smiled at the young man with such frank amusement that he was
embarrassed. "Oh, yes, we will excuse you," she said lightly. "Please
don't give another thought to us. Miss Alden and I wish you to consult
your own pleasure. I am sure that you will find it in drinking tea!" She
turned away, the picture of calm indifference, although she had a wicked
twinkle in her eye.

"Well, if that wasn't the rudest behavior all around that I ever saw in
my life!" burst out Phil indignantly after the disagreeable trio had
departed. "Mrs. Curtis or no Mrs. Curtis, I don't think we should be
expected to speak to that ill-bred Mr. Holt again. The idea of his
marching off with that girl and man after the way they treated us! I
shall tell Mrs. Curtis just how he behaved as soon as I see her, then she
won't think him so delightful."

Madge put her arm inside Phil's. "You had better not mention it to Mrs.
Curtis, Phil. Mrs. Curtis is the dearest p