to his chum's face before he said:

"Danny boy, your case is a light one. You'll recover speedily.
Your vanity has been somewhat stung, but your heart won't have
a scar in three days from now."

"What makes you think you know so much about that?" insisted Dan,
drawing himself up with a dignified air.

"It isn't hard to judge, when it's another fellow's case," smiled
Darrin. "I believe that, at this minute, I understand your feelings
better than you do yourself."

"I don't know about my feelings," proclaimed Dan gloomily still,
"but I do know something about my experience and conclusions.
No more girls for me!"

"Good idea, Danny boy," cried Darrin, slapping his friend on the
back. "That's the best plan for you, too."

"Why?"

"Because you haven't head enough to understand girls and their ways."

"I don't want to."

"Good! I hope you will keep in that frame of mind. And now,
let's talk of something serious."

"Of what, then?" inquired Dalzell, as the two started to walk
along together.

"Football."

"Is that more serious than girls?" demanded Dan Dalzell, suspicious
that his friend was making fun of him.

"It's safer, at any rate, for you. Why, if a girl happens to
say, 'Delighted to meet you, Mr. Dalzell,' you expect her to give
up all other thoughts but you, and to be at home every Saturday
evening. No, no, Danny. The company of the fair is not for you.
Keep to things you understand better---such as football."

Dan Dalzell's eyes shot fire. He was certain, now, that his chum
was poking fun at him, and this, in his present temper, Dan could
not quite endure.

"So, since we've dropped the subject of girls," Dave continued
placidly, "what do you think are our real chances for the balance
of this season?"

"They'd be a lot improved," grunted Dan, "if you'd get the grip
on yourself that you had at the beginning of the season."

"I know I'm not playing in as good form as I had hoped to," Dave
nodded. "The worst of it is, I can't find out the reason."

"A lot of the fellows think you've lost interest since you found
that you won't have the great Prescott to play against in the
Army-Navy game," Dan hinted.

"Yes; I know. I've heard that suspicion hinted at."

"Isn't it true?" challenged Dalzell.

"To the best of my knowledge and belief, it isn't. Why, Danny,
it would be absurd to think that I couldn't play right now, just
because Dick isn't to be against us on Franklin Field."

"I kn