CHAPTER XVI
AN UNHAPPY INTERVIEW
Then there _was_ something in the remarks that had been made aboutJack Huxley. Betty woke early after a few hours' sleep, recallingthe sound of low voices, those of her father and mother, talkingover the matter, of course. Careful not to waken Doris, Bettypresently gathered up her school clothes and went to the bathroom todress; but she was not the first one up. She could hear some one,presumably her mother, moving about in the other part of theapartment.
Before Betty combed her tousled golden head, she hurried into thekitchen and found her mother fixing grape fruit for breakfast. Itwas during a sad but short interval without the little maid. Mrs.Lee looked at Betty with a whimsical smile and asked, "How's the'wreck of the Hesperus?'"--for that was Betty's favorite expressionwhen she was tired.
Betty, rather white this morning, laughed a little. "How well youunderstand, Mother," she said. "It doesn't seem quite so tragic thismorning, that is, for me. I've been thinking. Wouldn't it be betterfor me not to tell about this and just to say what a good dinner itwas and how much trouble they went to to give Jack a big party, ifthe girls ask about it?"
"Decidedly so, Betty, for the sake of everybody concerned. You werecaught in a group about whose doings we've heard. We'll find outmore again before you accept an invitation. But there was nointention on the part of any one to annoy or injure you, thoughthere was not the proper chaperonage; and of course the wholesetting was as different as possible from what we approve. But youdon't mean that you would continue a special friendship with Jack,do you?"
"Oh, no!" Betty looked rather distressed at the thought of Jack. "IfI hadn't been so stubborn, I might have known. There were littlethings--and then his ideas--and a few things said. But Jack isreally a dear boy, Mother."
"Yes. So your father said. We talked a good part of the night."
"I suppose so. I'm sorry, Mother. Well, I'll handle it the best Ican, and I decided that I'd not act offended about it to Jack, butjust tell him frankly all about how I felt. I wish I could saysomething to make him see how it is, but I suppose there isn't muchuse trying."
Mrs. Lee smiled. "It is to Jack's credit that he has been attractedto the sort of a girl you are, Betty. There is certainly noadvantage in being unkind; but you must be firm about suchassociations. No, I suppose with his parents' ideas, his environmentand possible heritage, it would be a difficult thing to pull Jackaway from that sort of thing; and I should not like to have mydaughter run the risk that much association there would bring.
"Your father and I felt very indignant at first. We do yet in a way.But you escaped harm, providentially. No good will be achieved byyour adding to the gossip that there will probably be about it. Theeffect of 'public opinion' is sometimes a deterrent, but in the caseof young people, your father and I always think private correctionis the best. Just keep as still as you can Betty, and see whathappens. Surely Jack will make some inquiry in regard to how you gothome."
Betty shook her head doubtfully. "Perhaps he got to be like the girlthe colored maid said had 'passed out.' I was so scared for aminute, thinking that she meant really dead! If he did, he wouldn'tknow a thing about it. It's very queer. I suppose his father andmother really didn't expect it to go so far. When they came back inthe car, it was to be used to take us home, I suppose."
"Not much use in supposing. Think out what you want to say at schoolabout it Betty, and we shall see what happens. I have in mind what Iwant to say to Jack's mother some time. Run along and finishdressing, and awaken Doris, please. You will feel better when youhave breakfast. Think about your lessons now, if you can."
"I can all right," replied Betty with a toss of her head and theghost of a smile at her mother, as she followed directions.
The full program at school was a blessing that day. "Have a goodtime at your party?" asked several of the girls who knew about it,putting the question in various ways and at different times. AndBetty brightly replied that there was a "wonderful dinner" and"quite a crowd." Neither Jack nor Mathilde was at school, whichlessened Betty's embarrassment. She really dreaded to meet JackHuxley. Lunch she hurried through and fortunately there was nopractice in anything after school. She hung from a strap in thecrowded street car and escaped any prolonged conversation with anyone.
"There has been no telephone message from Jack," her mother said,upon Betty's inquiry. "I thought he _might_ call up to see if I hadgotten home all right, but of course he'd hate to say why he didn'tcome himself. I have half a notion to call up Mathilde."
But Betty thought better of this. She would not make the first move.And she certainly would never apologize for leaving that party! "Waseveryone intoxicated, Betty?" asked her father as he had anopportunity to talk with her privately.
"Oh, no. But almost all the boys and girls had taken a little ofwhatever it was and were more--lively, you know, or silly, and therewere a few, like me, that didn't know what to do with the sillyones, at least they looked as if they were not enjoying it, and itwas sort of loud and noisy--oh, I can't tell you all the littlethings that made me feel I didn't have to stay and stand it. If Mrs.Huxley had been there, I would have gone to speak to her. I thoughtof leaving a note for her, but I didn't have any paper or pencil.But I'm not sure that she would have thought it as horrid as I did."
"We shall see that you do not have such an experience again, Betty,"said her father. "You will have to have a talk with Jack, of course.That is inevitable. But I am sure that you are able to meet thesituation."
Betty was not quite sure just _how_ she could meet it, but the verydistance from the party was helpful now, in point of time andreflection upon it. Two days went by. No Jack at school. Mathildewas there, but carefully keeping away from Betty as Betty waskeeping away from her. Then came the week-end and Monday again. Jackwas in his classes. Lucia Coletti was back having had a touch oftonsillitis. Betty saw her and overheard her saying to Jack that shewas "so sorry" she missed his party.
But some little echo of affairs had reached the school. The juniorreporter of the school paper came to Betty with a puled look uponher face. "Betty, tell me about Jack Huxley's birthday party. Wewere going to make a note of it, mostly something nice about Jack,if we could, though it wasn't a junior party, of course, and I heardthat they were mostly outsiders. How about it?"
"There was a notice of it in the newspaper. Did you see that? In thejunior society doings?"
"No."
"There was a list of names given, the more prominent ones, at least,though I was omitted by some terrible mistake." Betty was laughingas she said this. She had been thankful enough when she saw that thelist was not complete.
"Well, I missed that. But Betty--one of the boys handed me somethingintended for a joke on Jack, perhaps, but I've heard something else,too--that it was a wild party and that they had flasks anddrank--but you wouldn't have been to one, would you?"
"Not if I could help it," laughed Betty, speaking quite honestly atthat. "What was the joke on Jack?"
The girl looked through some notes she had. "I haven't brought it, Iguess. Why, it wanted to know why Jack wasn't able to come to schoolthe next day after his party, and some more like that."
"I don't believe I'd put that in," said Betty. "Jack hasn't beenhere very long; and besides, if there _is_ any gossip, it would onlymake it worse. I'll hunt up the account in the paper, if you like,and bring it to school tomorrow. You might just copy it and addsomething like congratulations to Jack on his birthday. Mrs. Huxleycertainly made a great dinner for Jack, served by their butler andother servants, and the house is beautiful, new, you know. Yes, thecrowd was mostly older than we juniors are. Mathilde was the onlyone I really knew, though I believe there were two or three seniorgirls there."
"Thanks, Betty. I thought you would know. I believe I'll do what yousuggest and if you'll bring that account tomorrow it will be inplenty of time. All the copy has to go in tomorrow afternoon."
The young "repo
rter" ran away satisfied and Betty turned, to comeface to face with Jack. She flushed and her heart beat a littlefaster than usual. How she dreaded the interview which must occursooner or later!
Jack was as sober as she ever saw him look, and she did not realizehow thoughtful and serious a face she raised to him. Brown and blueeyes regarded each other for a moment. "Betty," said he, "I've gotto talk to you. When can I see you?"
"Would you like to come out to the house?" inquired Betty.
"I should say not!" Jack seemed more startled at the idea than rude."Can't I see you after school? I've got my roadster."
Betty shook her head negatively at that suggestion.
"If you don't want to ride with me, Betty, I'll take you to thenearest park or tea room, where we can talk. I wouldn't mind havingyou seen with me today, after what I understand they're telling,about the party, in school. Would you do it? What was that girlasking you--if you don't mind telling? I heard you say 'Jack,' as Icame up and stopped to wait."
"That was the reporter for the paper, Jack. I think I fixed that foryou."
"Thanks. I just found out, Betty, that you went home by yourself. Iwas mad about it at first, but I got over that and I think I owe youan apology."
"Yes. I think you do, Jack. But it might be just as well if you'dstay mad. Still, we must talk it over. We'll be late to our classesnow, Jack. See me after school. I'll meet you in front and we'lldecide then where to go."
Betty hurried off, but it was a gym class this time and with thechanging of shoes, or the donning of bathing suits for the pool,there was often some irregularity in appearance at the exact time.As Betty cut the water like the goldfish her father sometimes calledher, she wondered what in the world she would say to Jack. Yes, shewould let him drive her to the small park not far away. There wasthe chaperonage of people coming and going, and yet they could talkuninterrupted. If it would do him any good in the eyes of the schoolto have her seem to be as friendly as ever, she would be glad. Underthe circumstances, it could not hurt her and their future droppingof contact was no more than often happened anyway. But Betty did nottake lightly what had happened. She would tell Jack just how shefelt about it. Yet, dear me, the more you thought about it the worseit was; and who could tell beforehand what she was going to say?Usually it was something entirely different from what you hadthought up!
Chet Dorrance and Chauncey Allen, racing to the street car together,saw Betty walking toward the side street with Jack. "I wonder ifBetty's folks would like to have her go around with Jack Huxley ifthey knew all about him," Chauncey was looking after Betty, as theystopped to let a few machines pass before crossing to take their caror wait for it.
"I suppose that party must have been all right," said Chet, "inspite of what they say, or Betty wouldn't be with him now."
"You never can tell about a girl," replied Chauncey. "I'm sorry tosay it, Chet, but maybe she likes him."
"Don't mind me, Chauncey," facetiously said Chet, with a grin."Maybe she does, but I'd rather see Betty pick out some other sortof a boy."
Meanwhile Betty was settling herself in the gay roadster and Jackwas starting.
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