f the narrow man for
his unpaid "help," had labelled, "For Females." If they had said that he
was "perfectly horrid," there might have been a chance for him. But the
subject was begun and ended with these three words. Such terseness in
the sex was remarkable and would have deserved a psychological
investigation had it been based on any apparent data. But women's
opinions are so largely a matter of instinct and feeling, and so little
of judgment and induction, that an analysis of the mental processes of
the hundred girls who had reached this one conclusion, would probably
have revealed in each a different method of obtaining this product. The
important point is to recognize this consensus of opinion, and to note
its bearing on the development of the lad.

That Peter could remain ignorant of this feeling was not conceivable. It
puzzled him not a little when he first began to realize the prejudice,
and he did his best to reverse it. Unfortunately he took the very worst
way. Had he avoided the girls persistently and obviously, he might have
interested them intensely, for nothing is more difficult for a woman to
understand than a woman-hater; and from the days of mother Eve the
unknown is rumored to have had for her sex a powerful fascination. But
he tried to win their friendship by humbleness and kindness, and so only
made himself the more cheap in their eyes. "Fatty Peter," as they
jokingly called him, epitomized in two words their contempt of him.

Nor did things mend when he went to Harvard. Neither his mother's
abilities nor his choice were able to secure for him an _entree_ to the
society which Cambridge and Boston dole out stintedly to certain
privileged collegians. Every Friday afternoon he went home, to return by
an early train Monday morning. In his first year it is to be questioned
if he exchanged ten words with women whose names were known to him,
except during these home-visits. That this could long continue, was
impossible. In his second year he was several times taken by his chum,
Watts D'Alloi, to call. But always with one result. Invariably Peter
would be found talking to Mamma, or, better still, from his point of
view, with Pater-familias, while Watts chatted with the presumptive
attractions. Watts laughed at him always. Laughed still more when one of
these calls resulted in a note, "requesting the pleasure" of Mr. Peter
Stirling's company to dinner. It was Watts who dictated the acceptance,
helped Peter p