y many compliments. None
of my family ever have, so I think that ought to have a place in my good
times book.

"I've had a perfect orgy of sight-seeing--gone to all the places
strangers usually visit, and lots besides. We've been twice to the
matinee. Phil has been here once to lunch, and is coming this afternoon
to take us away out of town in a big touring-car. We're to stop at some
wayside inn for dinner. Then we'll see him again when we go out to
Eugenia's for a day and night. We've saved the best till the last."

"Letters," called Joyce, coming into the room with a handful. "The
postman was good to every one of us." She tossed two across the room to
Betty, who sat reading on the divan, and one to Henrietta, who had just
finished cleaning some brushes.

"Oh, mine is from Jack!" cried Mary joyfully. "But how queer," she added
in a disappointed tone, when she had torn open the envelope. "There are
only six lines." Then exclaiming, "I wish you'd listen to this!" She
read aloud:

"Mamma thinks that your clothes may be somewhat shabby by this time, so
here's a little something to get some fine feathers with which to make
yourself a fine bird. You will find check to cover remainder of year's
expenses waiting for you on your return to school. Glad you are having
such a grand time. Keep it up, little pard.--_Jack_."

If Mary had not been so carried away with her good fortune, and so
immediately engrossed in discussing the best way to spend the check she
would have noticed that the envelope in Betty's lap was exactly like the
one in her own, and that the same hand had addressed them both. Betty's
first impulse was to read her letter aloud. It was so unusually breezy
and amusing. But remembering that she had never happened to mention her
correspondence with Jack to Mary, and that her surprise over it might
lead her to say something before Henrietta that would be embarrassing,
she dropped it into her shopping bag as soon as she had read it, and
said nothing about it.

That is how it happened to be with her when she accompanied Mary that
afternoon on her joyful quest of "fine feathers." They went to many
places, and at last found a dress which suited her and Joyce exactly.
Some slight alteration was needed, and while the two were in the fitting
room, Betty passed the time by taking out the letter for a second
reading. A glance at the post-mark showed that it had been delayed
somewhere on the road. It should have reached h