"but around here decent men
cut out when a girl's engaged."

"I see!"

"What's more, what do we know about you? Who are you, anyhow? I've
looked you up. Even at your office they don't know anything. You may be
all right, but how do I know it? And, even if you are, renting a room in
the Page house doesn't entitle you to interfere with the family. You get
her into trouble and I'll kill you!"

It took courage, that speech, with K. Le Moyne towering five inches
above him and growing a little white about the lips.

"Are you going to say all these things to Sidney?"

"Does she allow you to call her Sidney?"

"Are you?"

"I am. And I am going to find out why you were upstairs just now."

Perhaps never in his twenty-two years had young Drummond been so near a
thrashing. Fury that he was ashamed of shook Le Moyne. For very fear of
himself, he thrust his hands in the pockets of his Norfolk coat.

"Very well," he said. "You go to her with just one of these ugly
insinuations, and I'll take mighty good care that you are sorry for it.
I don't care to threaten. You're younger than I am, and lighter. But
if you are going to behave like a bad child, you deserve a licking, and
I'll give it to you."

An overflow from the parlor poured out on the porch. Le Moyne had got
himself in hand somewhat. He was still angry, but the look in Joe's eyes
startled him. He put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"You're wrong, old man," he said. "You're insulting the girl you care
for by the things you are thinking. And, if it's any comfort to you, I
have no intention of interfering in any way. You can count me out. It's
between you and her." Joe picked his straw hat from a chair and stood
turning it in his hands.

"Even if you don't care for her, how do I know she isn't crazy about
you?"

"My word of honor, she isn't."

"She sends you notes to McKees'."

"Just to clear the air, I'll show it to you. It's no breach of
confidence. It's about the hospital."

Into the breast pocket of his coat he dived and brought up a wallet.
The wallet had had a name on it in gilt letters that had been carefully
scraped off. But Joe did not wait to see the note.

"Oh, damn the hospital!" he said--and went swiftly down the steps and
into the gathering twilight of the June night.

It was only when he reached the street-car, and sat huddled in a corner,
that he remembered something.

Only about the hospital--but Le Moyne had kept the note, treasured it!