ying to keep me out of your
way, or to break your neck and Rupert's?"

"The first, certainly," Gerard asserted. "Really, I didn't mean to do
any speeding to-day, Corrie, but when I saw the white road ahead,
I--think something slipped."

"You're a cheerful hypocrite, all right. Here, catch, baseballist!"

Gerard retreated a step and deftly caught the dripping missile as it
hurtled across the garage.

"You ought to wring out your league sponges," he reproved. "Thanks; I
was wondering how I could take this face into the house, unless I got
Rupert to turn the hose on me. You see, I might meet some one."

"You'd meet Flavia," Corrie declared, busying himself with his own
ablutions. "She's out there in the flowing arbor, sewing some gimcrack
thing and pretending she hasn't been worrying because I was out on the
course. She comes downstairs every morning to see me start--you know
that--and then sits around all day watching until I come in again. None
of that for Isabel; she's a sport."

Gerard shook the water from his thick hair and finished the perfunctory
toilet without replying. But as he passed Rupert, he dropped a light
hand on the mechanician's shoulder.

"When you marry, Jack Rupert, will the girl be a sport?" he questioned.

"My wedding cards ain't paining me bad just now."

"Well, but suppose the case."

The black eyes lifted for a moment from the task in hand.

"I guess I'd be sport enough for one house," Rupert impassively
pronounced. "I hate a crowd."

Gerard nodded to the boy across the garage, his face gleaming into
mirth.

"Coals to Newcastle," he signified. "Everyone doesn't like to live
shop."

There was the splashing thud of an overturned bucket. As Gerard passed
out the door, Corrie overtook him.

"Gerard," he panted, "Gerard, you said that purposely! You meant to tell
me that--that Isabel--that you----"

Gerard regarded him quietly, a little smile curving his lips.

"You meant to tell me that I needn't worry about you and Isabel; that
you've seen I want her, and you won't cut in? You meant that?"

The smile crept to Gerard's eyes, but he remained mute. With a quick
breath Corrie grasped his companion's hand and squeezed it ardently.

"You're _big_, Allan Gerard. And kind. For I've been watching, these ten
days, and you could get her if you tried."

He turned back into the building before contradiction was possible.
After a moment, Gerard went on down the path between the althea bush