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by some terrible mistake." Betty was laughing
as she said this. She had been thankful enough
when she saw that the list was not complete.

"Well, I missed that. But Betty--one of the
boys handed me something intended for a joke
on Jack, perhaps, but I've heard something else,
too--that it was a wild party and that they had
flasks and drank--but you wouldn't have been
to one, would you?"

"Not if I could help it," laughed Betty, speaking
quite honestly at that. "What was the joke
on Jack?"

The girl looked through some notes she had.
"I haven't brought it, I guess. Why, it wanted
to know why Jack wasn't able to come to school
the nest day after his party, and some more like
that."

"I don't believe I'd put that in," said Betty.
"Jack hasn't been here very long; and besides,
if there is any gossip, it would only make 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 add something like congratulations
to Jack on his birthday. Mrs. Huxley
certainly made a great dinner for Jack,
served by their butler and other servants, and
the house is beautiful, new, you know. Yes, the
crowd was mostly older than we juniors are.

 [[222]]