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terests between the girls, by spring Stacia's
devotion to Doris had waned. Another girl re-
ceived Stacia's confidences, to the great' relief
of Doris, who meanwhile had been adding other
friends to her list. And it had all come about
naturally without any necessity for any cool-
ness or unkindness on the part of Doris.

Doris herself was taking on little grown-up
airs and was very fussy at this stage about what
she wore and how she looked. Dick's still care-
less boyishness annoyed her and her remarks
about his table manners or general state of ob-
livion about the state of his collar or tie were
having more effect than any reminders on the
part of his mother. Dick cared what his twin
thought; and if Doris, too, thought he must
spruce up, he supposed he'd have to. All this
was not lost on Betty and her mother, but aside
from some natural amusement over remarks
exchanged by the twins; they gave no sign of
their interest.

Betty, it was true, was almost too full of
her own affairs to think much about her family
except at mealtime. Every evening there were
lessons, whatever could not be managed in the
school study hours. Time after school was
taken with meetings or practice or some athletic
line. Betty usually put in one half-hour of

 [[169]]