"Well, you want to watch out, and when I holler 'Rhoda' you come where I
am. That will be when the music strikes up. Don't forget."
"No," I said again.
"If you are not there, I might take some other girl," he remarked, as a
final caution.
Theodore Otway was going by, led by a lady. She was arguing seriously
with him.
"Of course you must dance the first dance with your cousin!" I heard her
cry. "I told you yesterday that you must. You can ask the little girl
some other time."
He gave me a miserable glance as he went to the other end of the room.
I hardly noticed him. I was so worried over the stout boy, who roved
about the room, here and there and everywhere. Once he hid behind a
sofa, and once he went out in the hall to get a drink of lemonade. He
unbuttoned his jacket, and tried to make himself look different by
crossing his eyes. I was sure that he did. And, just when the music
struck up, he disappeared altogether! The other little girls all had
partners. I was the only one left out. I felt it very keenly.