t end, who could tell
where? He had never before known a girl like this. In fact, with the
one exception previously mentioned, girls had never in any way entered
his life. Still he had learned in his fight with the world to look at
everything from a practical standpoint, and he had not gone very far
before his natural shrewdness asserted itself.

"It won't do, Campbell," he soliloquized, with an unconscious sigh.
"You 're 'playing a dead one.' It's a hundred-to-one shot in the first
place, and there is Arthur in the second. I wonder how he is to-day.
I wonder if he's going to get well. If he shouldn't--but, my God, I
hope he does--ain't it awful what thoughts will come to a fellow?

"I wonder if he 's got her 'nailed;' she does n't act much like it to
me. But I do n't believe I 'm acting on the square to try to 'do' him
when he ain't around to look after his trade. I 'll go up home
to-morrow night and see the old man, if he 's able to sit up. I had my
nerve with me to hold her hand--I wonder what she 'd have done if I 'd
have kissed it? Gee! but it's tough to be on the tram," he continued
with a sigh. "With a couple of thou. what could n't I do? But a man
without money hasn't got 'openers;' he draws four to a queen and never
betters."

He found Arthur convalescent and jealous of all the time that could be
spared to him. So, much to Checkers' disgust, his only opportunity of
now seeing Pert lay in her occasional visits to the store, when
shopping, generally accompanied by Sadie.

As soon as Arthur was strong enough to be about the house, Aunt Deb, as
a little surprise for him, asked Sadie and Pert to one o'clock Sunday
dinner.

Arthur's hollow eyes beamed lovingly from his thin, pale face, as Pert
entered the room. Checkers saw it, and his conscience smote him. "I
'll scratch my entry," he inwardly resolved, "and leave Arthur a
walk-over."

The afternoon passed uneventfully. The day was warm, the sun shone
bright, and they all sat under the shade of the trees, enjoying the air
and the beautiful view of the mountains, now made gorgeous by the
brilliant and variegated colors of the changing autumn leaves.

Pert so managed that she was not left alone with Arthur at any time,
and she and Sadie left somewhat early in order to reach home well
before dark.

After their departure Checkers and Arthur sat together in the hammock.
Arthur was monosyllabic. Checkers talked for a while against time, but
not