my. "I haven't thought about
her for a long time."

"That's ungrateful of you," said Phil; "but of course you couldn't know
that."

Question mark and parentheses formed again.

"Phil means," I explained, "that Susan has never forgotten you. It seems
you did battle for her once, down at the bottom of the Birch Street
incline?"

"Oh, gee!" grinned Jimmy. "The time I laid out Joe Gonfarone? Maybe I
wasn't scared stiff that day! Well, what d'y' think of her remembering
that!"

"You'll find it's a peculiarity of Susan," said Phil, "that she doesn't
forget anything."

"Why--she must be grown up by this time," surmised Jimmy. "It was mighty
fine of you, Mr. Hunt, to do what you did! I'd kind of like to see her
again some day. But maybe she'd rather not," he added quickly.

"Why?" asked Phil.

"Well," said Jimmy, "she had a pretty raw deal on Birch Street. Seeing
me--might bring back things?"

"It couldn't," I reassured him. "Susan has never let go of them. She
uses all her experience, every part of it, every day."

Jimmy grinned again. "It must keep her hustling! But she always was
different, I guess, from the rest of us." With a vague wonder, he
addressed us both: "You think a lot of her, don't you?"

For some detached, ironic god this moment must have been exquisite. I
envied the god his detachment. The blank that had followed his question
puzzled Jimmy and turned him awkward. He fidgeted with his feet.

"Well," he finally achieved, "I guess I'd better be off, professor. I'll
think over all you said."

"Do," counselled Phil, rising, "and come to see me to-morrow. We mustn't
let you take a false step if we can avoid it."

"It's certainly great of you to show so much interest," said Jimmy,
hunching himself at last out of his chair. "I appreciate it a lot." He
hesitated, then plunged. "It's been well worth it to me to come East
again--just to meet _you_."

"Nonsense!" laughed Phil, shepherding him skillfully toward the door....

When he turned back to me, it was with the evident intention of
discussing further Jimmy's personal and educational problems; but I
rebelled.

"Phil," I said, "I know what Susan means to you, and you know--I
think--what she means to me. Now, through my weakness, stupidity, or
something, Susan's in danger. Sit down please, and let me talk. I'm
going to give you all the facts, everything--a full confession. It's
bound, for many reasons, to be painful for both of us. I'm sorry, old