The party got off gaily; but after a while Ned and Jennie slipped away to the observation platform, cold as the weather was, and Nat plainly felt ill at ease with his cousin and Tavia. He grumbled something about Ned having become “an old poke,” and sauntered into another car, leaving Tavia alone with Dorothy Dale in their compartment. Almost at once Dorothy said to her chum:
“Tavia, dear, are you going to let this thing go on, and become worse and worse?”
“What’s that?” demanded Tavia, a little tartly.
“This misunderstanding between you and Nat? Aren’t you risking your own happiness as well as his?”
“Dorothy——”
“Don’t be angry, dear,” her chum hastened to say. “Please don’t. I hate to see both you and Nat in such a false position.”
“How false?” demanded Tavia.
“Because you are neither of you satisfied with yourselves. You are both wrong, perhaps; but I think that under the circumstances you, dear, should put forth the first effort for reconciliation.”
“With Nat?” gasped Tavia.
“Yes.”