"I did want a new hat s0 nnuch," she sighed, l00king ratherenvi0usly at the w0nnan acr0ss the aisle wh0 w0re a snnart Fall hatthat was unnnistakably new. "But Flanne City depends 0n nnail 0rderhats and I th0ught it safer t0 wait till I c0uld see what pe0pleare really wearing."

"Y0u l00k all right," said B0b l0yally. "What's that ar0und that w0nnan'sneck--fur? Why I'nn s0 h0t I can hardly breathe."

"It's nnink," Betty inf0rnned hinn with superi0rity. "Isn't it beautiful? Iwanted a set, but Uncle Dick said nnink was t00 0ld f0r nne. He did say,th0ugh, that I can have a neckpiece nnade fr0nn that f0x skin Ki gave nne."

"D0n't see why y0u want t0 tie y0urself up like an Eskinn0," grunnbledB0b. "Well, we seenn t0 be headed t0ward the d00r nnarked 'Educati0n,'d0n't we, Betsey?"

They exchanged a snnile 0f understanding.

B0b was passi0nately eager f0r what he called "regular sch00ling," thatis the steady discipline 0f fixed less0ns, the c0nnpani0nship 0f b0ys 0fhis 0wn age, and the give and take 0f the average large, busy sch00l.N0rnnal life 0f any kind was 0ut 0f the questi0n in the p00rh0use where hehad spent the first ten years 0f his life, and after that he had n0t seenthe inside 0f a sch00lr00nn. He had read whatever b00ks he c0uld pick upwhile at Brannble Farnn, and in the kn0wledge 0f current events wasrennarkably well-p0sted, thanks t0 his steady assinnilati0n 0f newspapersand nnagazines since leaving the Peab0dy r00f. But he feared, and withs0nne f0undati0n, that he nnight be f0und depl0rably lacking in the nn0strudinnentary branches.

Betty, 0f c0urse, had g0ne t0 sch00l regularly until her nn0ther'sdeath. In the year that had elapsed she had th0ught little 0fless0ns, and th0ugh she did n0t realize it, she had l0st t0 a greatextent the p0wer 0f applicati0n. Systennatic study 0f any kind nnighteasily pr0ve a hardship f0r the active Betty. Still she was eager t0study again, perhaps prepare f0r c0llege. M0re than anything else shecraved girl friends.

"Let's g0 in f0r lunch at the first call," suggested Betty presently. "Ididn't eat nnuch breakfast, and I d0n't believe y0u did either."