with any brilliant success. "Come, 'smoke up,' old man--you 're
going out!" he exclaimed, slapping Arthur on the back, a figure
doubtless suggested to him by the dying cigarette-stump between his
fingers.

"I wish to heaven I had 'gone out;' instead of getting well," was the
answer; "I am no good to myself, nor to any one else, and the only
being in the world I love, except my father, cares no more for me than
she does for a yellow dog."

There was an embarrassing silence.

"Girls are funny," said Checkers, musingly.

Arthur saw no grounds for argument, and Checkers continued, "I never
had much time for them, myself, but my friend 'Push' Miller had them
coming his way in carriages. You never saw such a fellow for girls; he
always had three or four on his staff. He used to play a system on
them. I think he called it the Fabian System, after some old joker in
the war, who used to win his battles by running away. You see, the
other guys would come chasing after this joker, and when he got them
where he wanted, he 'd go out and nail them--easy thing.

"Well, this Fabian System was a dead sure winner for Push, and if I
were you, I 'd try it. The next time you get together, 'jolly up'
Sadie. Don't push it too strong; but just enough so that Pert will
notice it--she'll get jealous. 'Jolly' Sadie harder, but be polite to
Pert, and pretty soon you 'll have her guessing. The chances are that
before long she 'll make a play at you--give her the frozen face. Put
up a talk about how much you used to love her; work in something about
the past, and what might have been. But keep a little up your sleeve;
you do n't want her to think you 're coming too easy, and after things
are all fixed up, do n't treat her too well again. Push used to say
'there was nothing that really spoiled a girl like treating her too
well.' He used to make a date every once in a while, and then break it
without sending any excuse, just to show the girl that he was 'good
people,' and teach her to have a proper respect for him."

Arthur smiled wearily. "Yes;" he said, "that may have done all very
well for Push, but it would n't do for me. The girl does n't love me,
and there's the end of it. Perhaps some day--well, there's no use
discussing it; besides, it would n't be fair to Sadie to use her merely
as a cat's-paw. She is a true little girl, with a big, warm heart, and
I would n't deceive her for the world."

"Well, what's the matter wit