Presently when word came that she had scored another triumph, that one of the leading magazines had accepted a short story, Jack was moved to send her a note of congratulation.
Now Jack had been as well known to Betty as she to him since the days of the long-ago house-party.

When he made his brief visit to The Locusts just before she left for Warwick Hall, they had met like old friends, each familiar with the other's past Unquestioningly she had accepted Papa Jack's estimate of him as the squarest young fellow he had ever met--"true blue in every particular, and a hustler when it comes to bringing things to pass." Now for five months Mary had talked of him so incessantly, especially while they were visiting Joyce, that Betty had it impressed upon her mind beyond forgetting, that no matter what else he might be he was quite the best brother who had ever lived in the knowledge of man.

In answer to her cordial little note of acknowledgment came a letter explaining in a frank straightforward way why he had kept her picture, and how he longed sometimes for the friendships and social life he could not have in a little mining-town.

And because there was a question in it about Mary, asking the advisability of her taking some extra course she had mentioned, Betty answered it promptly.
Thus it came about without her realizing just how it happened, that she was drawn into a regular correspondence.

Regular on Jack's side, at least, for no matter whether she wrote or not, promptly every Thursday morning a familiar looking envelope, addressed in his big businesslike hand, appeared on her desk.
February came, not only with its George Washington tea and Valentine party, but musicales and receptions and many excursions to the city.