But as there was no real community of interests between the girls, by spring Stacia’s devotion to Doris had waned. Another girl received 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 coolness 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 careless boyishness annoyed her and her remarks about his table manners or general state of oblivion 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 violin practice before the evening dinner, for the orchestra was working on the big things for their great concert, given by all the musical organizations.
Life was very interesting just now. The birds were singing again. Hikes had begun. And a new member of the junior class was very much interested in Betty. Just at this time senior affairs were absorbing Chet and some of the other boys that Betty knew best and meanwhile this new lad was introduced to Betty by Lucia Coletti one day after class.
“Betty,” said Lucia, “I want you to know our new classmate, Jack Huxley. You heard him recite in Latin and Math, didn’t you?”
“I’m glad to meet you,” murmured Betty, as Jack courteously said “Miss Lee” and bowed. “Yes, Lucia; I noticed that. Are you finishing the junior year with us?”
“Yes. My parents have recently moved here. I have been to school in the East, but that is too far away, my mother thinks, since we came here.”
Betty moved along between Lucia and Jack for a few moments of conversation; then they separated. This was the beginning of the acquaintance. Jack was a fine-looking boy with dark eyes, a pleasant mouth, a quantity of very dark brown hair which he wore in the prevailing style back from his forehead. Betty was rather impressed by his courteous manners, though Carolyn did not fancy him and said that he was too sure of himself. But he was a good student and Betty found herself defending him to several of the girls who were a little critical after a time. But perhaps that was because he made no effort to be friendly. Betty did not know. The boy with whom he seemed to chum was “wild,” Mary Emma Howland said.
Lucia, in telling how she came to know him, said that his mother used to be a friend of her mother’s at school. “They are being invited everywhere,” said Lucia, “and Jack is, too. They live in a hotel now, but are moving soon into one of those fine houses that are being finished.”
From this Betty concluded that the Huxleys moved in what was known as “society” and her first social meeting with Jack was at a little party at Lucia’s, one quite “informal” and hastily planned, Lucia said. There Jack paid rather particular attention to Betty and after that she met him so often at school, when he would fall in beside her after class, or be at the entrance of the grounds to accompany her to the door; or join her after school, that she knew it was no accident.