The Cape May golf course stretches over miles of beautiful downs and the clubhouse is the gathering place for society at this summer resort.
Ethel Swann bore off Lillian and Eleanor to introduce them to some of her friends, and the three girls followed the course of two of the players over the links.
Philip Holt was plainly impressed by the smartly-dressed women and girls whom he saw about him. He was a tall, thin young man with sandy hair and he wore spectacles. He insisted that Madge and Phyllis should not forget to introduce him as the friend of Mrs. Curtis, who expected him to be her guest later on. Indeed, Philip Holt talked so constantly and so intimately of Mrs. Curtis that Madge had to stifle a little pang of jealousy. She had supposed, when she was in New York City, that Mrs. Curtis, who was very generous, only took a friendly interest in Philip Holt and his work among the New York poor, but to-day Philip Holt gave her to understand that Mrs. Curtis was as kind to him as though he were a member of her family. And Madge wondered wickedly to herself whether Tom Curtis would be pleased to have him for a brother. She determined to interview Tom on the subject as soon as he should return from Chicago.
Later in the afternoon Madge and Phyllis were surprised to see Roy Dennis and Mabel Farrar come down the golf clubhouse steps and walk across the lawn toward them, smiling with apparent friendliness. Madge’s resentful 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.