le the Triumphant Egghead, not to give
his tormentor any further satisfaction, was pretending to laugh
uproariously at something that his companion, Miss Biggs, had just said.
For five minutes Skippy was in the most complete funk of his life. His
body seemed suddenly all hands and pockets and do what he would his feet
would interfere as they had that awful day eight months before when he
had descended into the family parlor in the first pair of long
trousers.

"I think that Princeton is just the sweetest place in the world, don't
you?" said Miss Lafontaine with the air of a great discovery.

"I'm preparing for Yale," said Skippy hoarsely.

"Oh, I'm so glad," said the young lady immediately, and sinking her
voice to a confidential whisper, she added, "you know I'm Yale too
though you mustn't give it away. I think Yale men have such strong
characters, don't you? You can't help but admire them, can you?"

Skippy had no ideas upon any subject whatsoever at that moment, besides
he hadn't the slightest idea what she meant. So he took out his
handkerchief and then put it back suddenly, as he remembered that a nose
was never blown in polite society. As Miss Lafontaine's sole object in
appropriating Skippy was the reflex action on the Triumphant Egghead, it
was absolutely necessary that Skippy should at least give the appearance
of appreciating the privilege. Miss Mimi, therefore, decided to jump the
fence of strict conventionality if the expression be permitted.

"Jack," she said, coming closer, "own up now, you are a terrible
woman-hater, aren't you?"

"Damn all sisters," he muttered to himself. Then he looked up and met at
the deadliest of ranges, the smiling, mischievous eyes of the Japanese
brunette. Despite himself, he broke into a laugh.

"Girls do give me a pain," he said abruptly, "but for the love of Mike,
I mean for heaven's sake, don't tell Sis I said that."

Miss Mimi immediately passed her hand through his arm.

"Won't you try very, very hard, Jack, to make an exception?"

He breathed hard and something warm went up his back like the warm
ripple of the hot water when his body slowly immersed. If Snorky Green
could see him now! Mimi hanging on his arm, Mimi's soft voice pleading
with him, Mimi, just as she had done in the fictitious weeks, throwing
herself at him, actually throwing herself at him! He tried to remember
one of the dozen eloquent replies he had once evolved, but nothing came.

"I say, you'r