Mr. Lee telephoned his wife that Betty would arrive when he did. Tired after a day of much thought upon business affairs and some conferences in the office, he listened to Betty’s account, after having asked her how she happened to be with “this young man.” Betty gave him a full account, with a happy appreciation of the fun they had had.

“I’m not sure that you would approve of Mabel, Papa,” she said, “but she’s the funny sort and it was all very nice. Jack seems to like me—lately, and he did his best to make me have a good time. I hope Mother won’t mind. I just couldn’t resist going and I was late anyhow, with all that going over and over of the parts we don’t get just right. You ought to hear the leader scold us. He makes us work, I tell you.

“Oh, I meant to telephone to Mother, but there wasn’t any good chance.”

“I think that she will not mind, daughter,” kindly said Mr. Lee. “Of course, we prefer to know where you are, as you know. Tell me about this lad. He is new to the school, you say?”

Betty explained. “And oh, I hope I may accept his invitation to his birthday party his mother’s giving for him. I’m to get an invitation, but Jack said that he wanted me to save the date.”

“He must think that you are popular,” smiled Mr. Lee. “I presume that you may go. He seemed rather an engaging youth. I liked him. As a rule, though, I don’t want you to go driving with the boys yet.”

“Yes, sir.”

Dinner was being put on the table as the car was driven into the garage and Betty and her father hastened to make themselves ready for the meal. As her father picked up the carving fork and attacked the steaming veal roast, he quietly remarked, “Betty seems to have a new boy friend.”

Nothing could have been more startling than that remark, it seemed to Betty. She flushed in her surprise; Mrs. Lee turned a wondering look upon her husband, and Dick chortled. Doris sat up straight with a wide grin. Then, drawing her lips together and frowning slightly she remarked, “I’m surprised, Mr. Lee, to hear such an expression from the head of the family. ‘Boy friend’ indeed! Papa, you’re getting quite too modern!”

An amused smile played about Mr. Lee’s lips as he put a generous helping of mashed potato by the slice of meat he was offering first. “Modern, is it? Yes, I believe it is and I like it better than the old expressions. It does not seem to mean as much. But by the way, the true head of the family is opposite me. My dear, is the spinach to be put on the plates or served in dishes? I am never quite sure how some of these additions go.”

“Served separately, I think,” replied Mrs. Lee, with a twinkle of her eyes to match those of her husband. “I am quite interested in your news, though. Will Betty mind if you explain?”

“I could explain,” said Doris decidedly.

Betty looked surprised again. Had Jack been with her so much that Doris could notice? She felt quite annoyed, but it would call attention to the fact if she said anything. She smiled as her father offered her the second plate, after serving her mother. “Fix that for Amy Lou, Daddy,” she said. “And when you serve my plate, remember that I had a big lunch.”

“Oh, you did!” exclaimed Doris. “Tell us about it, Betty; did Jack Huxley treat you this afternoon?” Doris was very courteous in her manner at this question.

“Yes, Dory. That was all there was of it. And Papa met him, you know—so he feels facetious about it. Isn’t that so, mon cher papa?”

“She’s talking French now,” groaned Dick. “There must be something in it!”

“Don’t be silly, Dick,” said Betty. “If you’ll all have some sense—I don’t mean my respected parents, but you—you monkeys, Dick and Doris.

“And me,” put in Amy Lou. “Is that the name of Betty’s boy friend, Doris?”

“Now, Father, see what you’ve done!”

“Betty, I apologize,” said Mr. Lee with a wave of his carving knife. “I was just in fun, Amy Lou. Is that the way you like your potato, with a valley in it full of gravy?”

Amy Louise gravely nodded, while Mr. Lee heaped Dick’s plate next. Whether Dick had had any lunch or cookies from the jar or not, it would make no difference in his appetite for dinner. Betty was the last served and while she waited she gave a rather brief but satisfactory account of her little “lark,” as she called it.

“Father said he thought it might be all right for once, Mother; and as Jack had just asked me to his birthday party, I wanted to do what he wanted me to do. And oh, the suggestion of a sundae made my mouth water! But we had much more than that.”

After dinner Doris came into the bedroom where Betty was laying off her school dress. “I wouldn’t say a word before the family, Betty,” said she, “but I’ve heard about Jack and of course I’ve seen you with him. Some of the girls think he’s wonderful even if he doesn’t pay any attention to anybody but you. And then I heard one of the boys say that he runs with a wild set of the society bunch! What do you think about it, Betty?”

“I don’t know a thing against him, Doris, and I don’t think a person ought to believe anything bad without giving a friend a chance, do you?”

“You could see that Father liked him,” returned Doris. “I should imagine you could be friends with Jack Huxley and not hurt anything at all. He has such nice manners; and when he is with you he is as polite as can be.”

“Yes, always, Doris.”

“There’s something about you, Betty, that makes the boys do that. They never get fresh or act silly as they do with some of the girls.”

“I don’t like that expression, Doris—but I think boys know the kind of girls they’re with; and besides, the kind of boys I like aren’t that sort. I like fun, Dorry—you know that, but I like to talk sense, too. That is one thing about Jack. You would laugh at some of his clever remarks; and then he can tell me about something just as if he were grown up and explaining, like Father.”

“Do you like him better than Chet?”

“Don’t ask me, Doris. I don’t like any of them as well as I do Carolyn!”

“Then you’re safe for a while,” laughed Doris.

“I’m always going to be safe,” laughed Betty. “Imagine getting engaged in high school and then finding somebody you liked much better when you went to college! But Doris, I’m not going to pay any attention to gossip about Jack. I’m sure he’s a nice boy. He’s different and I know he thinks some ideas that our people have are ‘old fogy,’ but people can’t be all alike and I believe in letting other folks—well, they have the same right to their opinions that we have.”

There was no one to remind Betty that opinions and action based upon them are very likely to agree. Doris saw Betty’s firmly set lips and nodded her head in assent to her sister’s opinion. “Anyhow,” said Doris, “having Jack Huxley for a friend is going to give you some good times and maybe Chet won’t think he owns you.”

Betty nodded. “Still, Doris,” she said, honestly, “Chet has been a very good friend to me and I can’t say that he’s tried not to have me accept any invitations from Budd or Brad or anybody—unless it was Ted.” Betty laughed and Doris, who remembered Ted’s limited period of invitation, was pleased that Betty should confide in her. “He doesn’t like Jack, though—but please don’t say a word to the girls about any of my doings, Doris.”

“I won’t and I think it’s good of you to tell me about things. Didn’t you say that you are going out to take dinner with Mrs. Dorrance and the boys tomorrow?”

“Yes—but there will be some other girls there, too, I think. How would you like it, if Mrs. Dorrance needs any more, to dress up and help in the booths, too!”

“Oh, Betty! I’d adore it!” Doris clasped her hands together as she spoke enthusiastically. “Would she let me, do you suppose?”

“Don’t be too disappointed if nothing happens, but if there is a chance I’ll not forget. Oh, Doris! Jack gave me a big, two pound box of candy and I left it in our car. Ask Dick if he won’t go out and get it and we’ll all have a treat!”

Doris lifted two expressive hands at that speech. “Will I ask Dick? I will. And I’m Jack’s friend for life!”

“Silly,” laughed Betty, “run along!”

Doris stopped, holding to the door frame as she peeped back. “Only grown up boys do that for their best girls. You certainly are lucky!”