ead that girl right she was the sort
to stick to anything she'd said she'd do, if it took the breath out of her
body. How long had she known him--any idea?"

"A good while, I believe."

"I thought so. Early engagement, you see--ought never to have stood."

"If you'd been Huntington you'd probably have had the unreasonable notion
that it should."

"She's a magnificent girl," said Lockwood, blowing a great volume of smoke
into the air with head elevated and half-shut eyes. "She made those two
who were here with her last summer seem like thirty cents beside her. Nice
girls, too--fine girls--elegant dressers; I don't know what the matter
was. Neither did they." He chuckled a little. "They couldn't believe their
own eyes when they saw three of us going daft over a girl they wouldn't
have staked a copper on in a free-for-all with themselves. They took it
gamely, I'll say that for them. Marie won't have me back."

"I don't blame her."

"Neither do I. Haven't got to the want-to-be-taken-back stage--sometimes
think I never shall. One experience like that spoils a man for the
average girl. The truth is, Tony, the most of them--er--overdo the
meet-you-half-way act. I want a girl to keep me guessing till the last
minute."

"Tell that to the girl," advised Anthony.

"I wish I could. Yet there were a good many times when I thought if Rachel
Redding would just look my way I shouldn't take it ill of her. I wonder if
she'd have been like that if she hadn't been engaged to another fellow."

"Probably." Anthony got up and stretched himself. He was growing weary of
other men's confidences.

"You're right she would. She's built that way. Yet when you get to
fancying what she'd be if she just let herself go and show she cared----"

"Look here, my young friend," said Anthony, "I advise you to go home and
go to bed. Sitting here dreaming over Mrs. Alexander Huntington isn't good
for you. What you want to be doing is to forget her. Huntington's going to
get well, and they're going to live happily ever after, and you fellows
out here can look up other girls. Plenty of 'em. Only, for the love of
heaven, see if you can avoid all setting your affections on the same girl
next time. It's too rough on your friends!"

XXII.--ROGER BARNES PROVES INVALUABLE

Time went swinging on, and by and by it came to be Tony Robeson, Junior's,
second Christmas day. He rode down to breakfast on his father's shoulder,
crowing loudly on a gorgeou