went straight to
Marcia. She saw him immediately; forget herself to stare almost as
Carson had done; smiled at him brightly; waved her fan to him.

He took her hand and told her with his eyes how pretty she was. The
delicate tint in Marcia's cheeks deepened and warmed, her eyes grew
even brighter.

"Flatterer!" she chided him. "Are we to talk of the moth and the star
again, Mr. Lee?"

The knot of men about her melted away. Lee stood looking down into her
upturned eyes, measuring her gentle beauty. He had thought of her as a
little blue butterfly--she was more like a wee white moth, fluttering,
fluttering . . .

The music, again from a hidden distance, set feet to tapping. Marcia
plainly hesitated, flashed a quick look from Lee to the others about
them, then whispered hurriedly:

"It's terrible of me, but----"

And she slipped her hand into his arm, cast another searching glance
over her shoulder for a partner who had been too tardy in finding her,
and yielded to the temptation to have this first dance with "the most
terribly fascinating man there"! Lee slipped his arm about her, felt
her sway with him, and lightly they caught the beat of the dance and
lost themselves in it. And still, again and again turning away from
Marcia, he sought Judith.

The dance over, their talk was interrupted by an excited and rather
overdignified youth with a hurt look in his young worshipping eyes, who
stiffly reminded Miss Langworthy that she had cut his dance. She was
so contrite and helpless about it that the youth's heart was touched;
she blamed herself for her terribly stupid way of always getting things
tangled up, gave him the promise of the next dance, which she had
already given to some one else, disposed of him with charming skill,
and sighed as she turned again to Lee.

"I haven't paid my respects to our hostess," he said quietly. "Where
is Miss Sanford?"

"She sent her excuses," Marcia told him. "Aren't we in a draft, Mr.
Lee?"

He moved with her away from the soft current of air, a distinct
disappointment moving him to the verge of sudden anger. What business
had Judith to stay away?

"You mean she isn't coming at all?" he asked quickly.

"Oh, no," she told him, busy with the rose in her hair, her eyes bright
on his. "Just as the dance was beginning she had to go to the
telephone. Some ranch business, I don't know what. But she sent word
she would be here immediately--I believe," and Marcia made