feeling very forlorn; he didn't belong anywhere these days. Bob and his
friends had very nearly deserted him; there was scarcely any of their fun
in which he had time or desire to join, and the other cliques in school
had never noticed him; so he stood outside, and wondered what he should
do with himself. Howard Minturn wheeled suddenly away from the boys, and
called to him,--

"Tip, see here."

And Tip went there.

"What do you want?" he asked crossly; for some way he felt out of sorts
with that company of finely-dressed boys around the stove.

"Want you to come over to-night. It's my birthday, you know, and some of
the boys are coming to take tea, and spend the evening. Can you come?"

Tip's wide-open eyes spoke his astonishment. "What do you want of me?" he
asked at last, speaking boldly just what he thought.

"Why, I want you to come and help have a nice time," returned Howard,
with great kindness, but just a little condescension in his tone.

Tip heard it, and his bitterness showed itself a little. "It's a new
streak you've got, ain't it?" he said, still speaking crossly. "You've
had lots of birthdays, and this is the first one _I've_ heard of."

"Oh, well!" said Howard proudly, flushing as he spoke; "if you don't want
to come, why"--