"Why, Billy, what's the matter ?" he broke off, in quite a different tone of voice.
And then a curious thing happened.

Billy, who, a minute before, had been seeing only a dear, noble, adorable, _lost_ Bertram, saw now suddenly only the man that had stayed _happily_ till midnight with two friends, while she--she-- "Matter! Matter!" exclaimed Billy sharply, then.

"Is this what you call staying to dinner, Bertram Henshaw ?" Bertram stared.

A slow red stole to his forehead.

It was his first experience of coming home to meet angry eyes that questioned his behavior--and he did not like it.