{{betlep221.png}} That is inevitable. But I am sure that you are able to meet the situation." Betty was not quite sure just how she could meet it, but the very distance from the party was helpful now, in point of time and reflection upon it. Two days went by. No Jack at school. Mathilde was there, but carefully keeping away from Betty as Betty was keeping away from her. Then came the week-end and Monday again. Jack was in his classes. Lucia Coletti was back having had a touch of tonsilitis. Betty saw her and overheard her saying to Jack that she was "so sorry" she missed his party. But some little echo of affairs had reached the school. The junior reporter of the school paper came to Betty with a puzzled look upon her face. "Betty, tell me about Jack Huxley's birthday party. We were 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 heard that they were mostly outsiders. How about it?" "There was a notice of it in the newspaper. Did you see that? In the junior society do- ings?" "No." "There was a list of names given, the more prominent ones, at least, though I was omitted [[221]]