Keep your cell phones quiet!

I'm well aware of the library cell phone policy.
Not only do I read the little sign every time I come in and out (Please keep yourself and your cell phone quiet!) but I'm on the board where we discuss these kinds of things.
So I was somewhat embarrassed when I walked into the room to attend the party for our retiring librarian to hear my cell phone ringing.
I tried to retrieve it quickly and shut it off but I have a new purse and I couldn't find the durn thing.
By the time I grabbed hold of it and pushed the right button to dismiss the call, everyone was looking at me.
I took my seat.
I was kinda late anyway so I was trying to fade into the background.
It was a casual kind of event so there wasn't a set time for board members to be there...however, I was expected to show up and hand off the board's parting gift and things moved along more quickly than planned.
The president of the board went to the front of the room to speak.
I waited, anticipating her final remark so I could then walk up and give her the gift to give to the librarian.
A phone started to hum.
It wasn't my phone but one in the purse on the chair beside me, the board president's.
Because mine had been ringing earlier, everyone looked at me as it buzzed.
I waited for it to stop.
It stopped.
Then it buzzed again.
Believe it or not, in a library, a buzzing phone is very loud.
I sat there trying to look nonchalant as it buzzed and buzzed and buzzed some more. It was getting harder to ignore.
Whoever needed to talk to the president needed her badly, I figured, but I wasn't about to open up her purse without permission.
Finally, it was time for the gift giving so when I went up to stand beside her I told her that her phone was ringing.
She nodded and smiled. What could she do?
We finished the niceties and returned to our seats.
Her phone was still buzzing.
"Oh, look at that!" she said. "14 calls!"
She hurried out of the room.
I don't know what the emergency was or even if the calls were all from the same teenager/toddler/husband. I hoped it wasn't something serious like a house burning down.
I do know I won't be bringing my cell phone with me (or anyone else's) to any more public events and I'll work on not looking guilty when one rings.