Betty Lee, Senior

by Harriet Pyne Grove

  CHAPTER XIII

  HEARTS AND MASKS

  Although the colonial costume, which Betty's mother permitted her towear to the Valentine party, was new and in order, there was much elsein decoration which concerned Betty and indeed the costume itself neededto be taken in a little to fit Betty's more slender figure. She rushedhome, accordingly, on the thirteenth, to spend the rest of the afternoonand evening on her preparations. "I studied like mad, Mother, in studyhalls; and Carolyn, Kathryn and I cut lunch to get out our Latintogether!"

  "I am afraid you should not omit lunch, Betty."

  "Oh, that was all right, Mother. We each had a chocolate bar and a creampuff and some peanuts, got 'em on the way to school, that is, I did. Itwas very obliging of St. Valentine to have his day this year toward theend of the week. Carolyn and Kathryn think that they will be valentines,too. Kathryn may dress as a 'comic,' though it depends somewhat on whatcostume she can get up the easiest. Carolyn has a lot of them that hersister has used at one time or another, and you know what nice ones theywould be. O Mother, I think you are so lovely to let me wear this! Yousee, it isn't as if it were an ordinary children's party or just wegirls dressing up as usual. I don't know, indeed, whom Marcella may nothave."

  "Well, come here and let me fit you, child. Allow me to remark thatthere isn't as much change as might be expected from the difference inour ages."

  "O Mother, you are the youngest and best looking of us all! Ask Father."

  "He might either be prejudiced or hesitate to tell the truth," laughedMrs. Lee, and the fitting went on.

  Another day of school was put through before the party. But it was St.Valentine's Day and lessons were in the background of thought, it mustbe said. There were delightful interludes of receiving and givingvalentines, with little mysteries even more interesting now than inchildish days. And as the messages of St. Valentine might be regarded ascarrying more romantic meaning now, the whole was more interesting.

  One of the girls handed Betty a valentine which she was sure was fromMickey Carlin. He had probably bought it that morning and had notthought she would get it in time if he mailed it. Another, which she hadtaken from their mail box before she left home, also before the arrivalof the mail man, bore in tiny letters on a corner inside the name_Andy_. Andy Sanford _was_ a good friend of hers and had been ever sincea certain freshman party at Betty's. The sentiment was somewhat sugary,Betty thought, but "anything goes on Valentine day," she said toCarolyn, to whom she showed all her valentines without reservation.

  Carolyn laughed at the verse, which expressed undying devotion, andremarked that even if Chet and "others" had gone to the university, theystill had a few nice senior boys to make life interesting! There werequite a number, in fact, in the large senior class; and commoninterests, with working things out together made good friends. The"others" might be supposed, from Carolyn's standpoint, to includeChauncey Allen, who had all at once become deeply interested in Carolynduring the latter part of his senior year.

  But all other fun paled into insignificance at last in comparison withthe evening's entertainment. Betty tucked away her valentines, to belooked over again at some other time. In some excitement she made ready,running back and forth between her own and her sister's room, for Doris,also was going to a party, though no costume was demanded.

  "You look lovely, Betty," said Doris, "and _very_ different"--then bothgirls laughed at the implication.

  "No hint that you are not 'always beautiful,' understand! And your blacksilk mask is fetching--but they may know you by those dimples, and yourmouth, of course."

  "Oh, I don't care," said Betty. "I'll do my best to 'keep my identityhidden,' the way the detective can always do in stories. But if theyfind out--after the first--let 'em. Besides other girls have dimples.What in the world did I have to have them for!" Betty was ratherdisgusted as she looked closely into the mirror and practiced onexpressions.

  As the gentlemen of the party were not to know the costumes of theladies, the girls were either brought by their natural protectors, orsent for by Marcella, or arriving by taxi. Mr. Lee said that he would"martyr himself for the cause," and tucked Betty's colonial skirtsinside of the family car with great assumption of concern. "May you bebrought home as safely," said he, letting her scramble out of the car asshe would, when they reached the Waite home. "It's not very far," saidshe.

  A few flakes of snow were falling, lit up by the electric lightseverywhere. It was a lovely world that February night. Betty's heartbeat high as with several girls as excited as she, doubtless, sheclimbed the steps toward the hospitable door.

  Not long after, she descended the stair into the wide hallway, almost apart of the drawing-room, full of gayly costumed young people by thistime. It happened that no one was coming to enter with her, for thedressing room to which she had been shown was empty and the girls whowere supposed to follow her had dashed into Marcella's room with anexclamation over some picture there. They were Marcella's friends,either from the university, or of the "sub-debs" who were not in schoolat all now. Marcella numbered some of these among her friends, girls whowere waiting for their entrance into society.

  So as Betty hesitated a moment, looking at the bright decorations, thespace clear before her, she made a pretty picture.

  Hearts were in evidence everywhere. A flying Cupid, with bow and arrow,was suspended by a wire in a corner prettily fitted up as a sort ofshrine to St. Valentine. Flowers gave fragrance and the spacious roomswere at a comfortable temperature. Marcella had spared no pains to makea pretty setting for her party.

  She, too, was to be unknown till the unmasking. Accordingly, her motherand father and a visiting grandmother received the young guests andstood just within the limits of the drawing-room proper.

  "Look at that sweet valentine standing there, wife," said Mr. Waite,just aware of Betty and adjusting his glasses. "Who is she?"

  "As I cannot lift her mask, I can not tell you, Lawrence," returned Mrs.Waite, "but you are right. She looks as if she had just stepped out ofan old-fashioned valentine. How cleverly that little lacy head-dress,with the heart in the middle of it, is arranged above her powdered hair!Larry ought to see her! Where is he, anyway?"

  Betty glanced up the stairs, to see if the other girls were coming, butjust at that moment, while the Waites were making their comments andBetty paused, St. Valentine himself in the person of one of Marcella'sfriends, bethought himself of the duties which he had assumed toannounce the guests. He detached himself from a little group which hehad joined and came hurrying toward Betty.

  His performance varied from the usual procedure; for he took her handwith a deep bow and led her to Mrs. Waite as he announced loudly, "MissValentine, a member of my own family!"

  So led, with her quaint skirt and flowered silk overdress, a cascade oflittle pink hearts draped across her breast, Betty, like a pink rosefrom some old garden, went to give her hand in greeting. Very much grownup looked Betty in this costume, as her mother had regretfully told her."But I _am_ grown up," Betty had replied.

  She spread her fan a little, to act her part, and spoke in the formalmanner of a polite stranger, though now, living only a few squares away,she had been here often and knew both Mr. and Mrs. Waite. Marcella'smother was "a dear," and Mr. Waite, slight, active, grey-haired, keen,was interesting.

  "As you must be one of Marcella's friends," said Mr. Waite, extendinghis hand, "I shall dare to say that any lad here might be glad to see avalentine like this one coming his way. Don't you agree with me,Mother?"

  Marcella's grandmother smiled assent and Betty made a sweeping curtseyto Mr. Waite as she turned to Marcella's grandmother. She was afraidthat they would recognize her voice, if she said too much.

  "She does not want us to know who she is, of course; so don't detainher, Father," suggested Mrs. Waite. "I hope that you will enjoy yourselftonight. Marcella is somewhere about, but you will have to guess who sheis. And she is the only one who will
know you--for she, as you know, hadto have a list of guests and characters to arrange the partners for thesupper tables."

  In low but cordial tones, Betty finished her brief conversation with herhost and hostesses and moved on to give her place to the other girls,who were now coming. A group of masked and costumed guests were right athand and Betty joined them, to be greeted with gay laughter andcompliment.

  Meanwhile a conversation was going on, in the privacy of the library, inwhich Betty would have been interested.

  "But I tell you, it simply can't be done at this late date! It will justupset everything! I'll have to change a lot of them all around. Formercy's sake, why not see her all you want to all the rest of theevening? I'll not tell the boys what character they're to take out tillthe last minute. And there are the colonial dances for those dressedthat way. Lucky so many of them dressed so--though I did ask some of myfriends to do it."

  "Fat chance to talk in a square dance. My dear sister, have a heart! Whydid I come all this distance to spend the week-end if not for the fun ofsaying some things masked that I can't say without a mask?"

  "I certainly don't think much of that argument. I think I see myselflistening to what a man hasn't the nerve to tell me face to face!"

  "You fail to understand, sweet chuck. It is less embarrassing and willlead up to what I intend to say 'face to face.' Moreover, I intend tosay it in my own _character_, if behind a mask at first. Now, please!_Pretty_ please! If there weren't another in the running, and two orthree of those nice kids, so far as I know, it wouldn't make so muchdifference. Something Art Penrose said rather woke me up and I hiredthis costume, sent a valentine and took a train."

  "Then, honestly, are you in earnest where she is concerned?"

  "I suppose I am, though it is a little early, perhaps, and I don't knowthat I shall enter the waiting list. See?"

  "Through a glass darkly! Still I have a lot of faith in you, too, andI'll do it this _once_. But if you don't tell me in time again, there'sgoing to be trouble in the family! Now come and help me with this list,if you think it so easy and will have your way!

  "If you want my advice--faint heart ne'er won fair lady. She's prettymature in some ways and maybe, after all, you did well to come and seethe situation yourself. You'd better write to her, too, and keep intouch until you both find out whether you're as congenial as you thinkor not--or care enough for each other. I've admired more than one herofrom afar and I ought to know."

  "Get over it, do they--the girls? Don't think this one makes a hero ofme, Sis, though our first meeting was a little romantic."

  "How was that?"

  "I'm not telling."

  "I thought you saw her first at a party I had. You asked enough abouther."

  "Did I? Well, you're a sister worth having. Let me apply my keenintellect to that list of yours now. Seat us far away from that one fairyouth that she was holding off, I judged, last summer."

  "Oh, it's such a nuisance. I'll have to change place cards andeverything! Why do you always come rushing in at the last minute?" Butthis was said with a smile.

  "Wait! Don't despair. When I bought my valentines to mail I saw a lot ofplace cards and thought of your party. You had plenty, I saw, so Ididn't bring them out. I'll run up and get them."

  "They won't match, but--all right. Silly--but I kind of like you atthat!"