“All right this time,” returned Jack, for he
was in a happy mood and the stimulating drink
made him only more affable so far. It was not
the first that day.

This was the beginning. No one seemed to
be the worse for anything at dinner. There
were some games and then the dancing began
_a_ _la_ victrola, though Jack apologized for not
having an orchestra. “Nobody could come,” said
he -- “previous engagements. It was my fault
for letting it go until too late.”

Betty never did relate the details of what
occurred later in the evening, other than to
say that matters grew worse, that both boys
and girls drank from flasks and that Mr. and
Mrs. Huxley had left with some guests soon
after dinner, which they had had privately. She
had enjoyed the fun at first and forgot about the
wine till forced to notice it when the flasks came
out, not very surreptitiously. But at last she
came to the conclusion that it was no place for
her. She looked for Jack and saw that he was
more than half intoxicated. One boy asked her
to dance and began to embrace her as he asked,
hot, liquor-laden breath indicating his state at
this time. It was Jack's chum.

Betty slipped from his arms with an apology.

[[209]]

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