me. As soon as I got into that mess about Ida
Wade, she threw me over. No, she didn't want to be associated with me
any longer. Well, she can go to the devil. Geary's welcome to her."

"I thought Dolly Haight was going to marry her," said Ellis. "What was
the matter _there_?"

"I don't know," returned Vandover; "probably Dolly Haight didn't have
enough money to suit her. Guess she wants a man that will make his pile
in this town and make his way, too. Ah, you bet!"

Half an hour later he was still behind Ellis' chair. Ellis had become so
fidgety that he was losing steadily. Once more he turned to Vandover,
speaking over his shoulder, "Come on, come on, Van, go along to your
football; you make me nervous standing there." Vandover pushed a
ten-dollar gold-piece across the table to the Dummy, who was banking,
and said:

"Give me that in chips. I'm coming in."

"I thought you were going to the game?" inquired Ellis.

"Ah, the devil!" answered Vandover. "Too much rain."

They had played without interruption all that afternoon, and for once
Vandover had all the luck. When they broke up about five o'clock with
the understanding to meet again in the Imperial at seven, he had won
nearly a hundred dollars.

When Vandover went out to keep this appointment he found the
streets--especially Kearney and Market streets--crowded. It was about
half-past six. The football game was over and the college men had
returned. They were everywhere, marching about in long files, chain-gang
fashion, each file headed by a man beating upon a gong, or parading the
sidewalks ten abreast, singing college songs or shouting their slogan.
At every moment one heard the college yells answering each other from
street corner to street corner, "Rah, rah, rah--Rah, rah, rah!" Vandover
found the Imperial crowded with students. The barroom was packed to the
doors, every one of the little rooms in the front hall was full, while
Flossie and Nannie had a great party of the young fellows in one of the
larger rooms in the rear. Among the crowd in the barroom, three members
of the winning team--heroes, with bandages about their heads--were
breaking training, smoking and drinking for the first time in many long
weeks.

Vandover found Ellis and the Dummy leaning against the wall in the
crowded front passage. They were both in bad humour, the Dummy sulking
because Flossie had left him for one of the football men, the full-back,
a young blond giant with two disl