ith one
foot on the academy steps, replied:

"Oh, it's some bub-better, I think."

"Glad to hear it," said Roger, slipping his arm through Springer's.
"Come on, let's walk over yonder to the fence. I want to have a little
chin with you. It will be ten minutes yet before school begins."

Together they walked to the fence at the back of the yard, pausing
beneath one of the tall old trees which was putting forth tender green
leaves. Leaning against the fence, the captain of the nine faced his
companion.

"As a rule," he began, "you've been a great enthusiast over baseball,
and I didn't think you'd let a slight cold keep you away from practice.
Exercise is one of the best remedies for a cold, if a person takes care
of himself when he's through exercising."

"I know that," said Phil, poking his toe into an ant's nest and
declining to meet Roger's steady, level gaze; "but, really, I--I was
feeling pretty rotten, you know, and I didn't have mum-much heart for
practice."

"Yes," said the captain, "I'm afraid that was the principal
trouble--you didn't have much heart for it. You lost heart in the
game, and you haven't braced up yet. I hardly thought it of you, Phil;
I didn't expect you to play the baby."

"The baby!" exclaimed Springer resentfully.

"Yes; that's just what you've been doing. I made up my mind to speak
plainly to you, and I'm going to do so--for your own good. You've been
sulking, old fellow. It doesn't pay, Phil; you're hurting yourself far
more than any one else."

"I don't think you've got any right to call it sulking," objected
Springer in a low tone. "I own up that I did feel bad about the way
things went in that gug-game; but I caught a cold, and I decided to
take care of myself in order to get back into my best condition."

"Is that the reason why you've been giving Rod Grant the cold shoulder?"

"I haven't been giving him---- What has he said to you, Eliot? Has he
been tut-tut-talking about me?"

"Not a word."

"Then why should you say I'd given him the cold shoulder?"

"It was apparent to the dullest, Phil. For some time before that game
you and Grant were very chummy; you were nearly always together, so
that everybody noticed it. Since the game you've not been together at
all, and I, myself, have plainly observed your efforts to avoid him.
Now, old man, there can only be one explanation for such conduct:
you're sore--sore because he succeeded in holding Barville down after