Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/82

 the hostess, tell her I have had a very pleasant time and all that, and bid her good-by. I have another engagement."

This was not quite in accordance with the facts of the case. Tom had no other engagement, but he wanted to go off by himself, or in company with Loren and Ralph, and give full vent to his feelings of disappointment and rage. He shook his fist at Arthur when the latter turned his back and hurried away, and it would have afforded him infinite satisfaction if he could have followed him up and knocked him down. He found his cousins after a while, and although they stood in the midst of a jolly group and were laughing gaily, and appeared to be enjoying themselves, Tom was well enough acquainted with them to tell at a glance that they were as angry as he was.

"Sorry to break in upon so pleasant a gathering as this one seems to be," said Tom, approaching the group, one of whom was the young lady in whose honor the party was given, "but our time is up."

"Why, Mr. Bigden, you don't mean to say that you are going away so soon, and before