not ask you to
sacrifice yourself unless you were willing--unless you cared enough for
me to adapt yourself to the circumstances."

"But, Larry, aren't you going to quit all this foolishness and go back?
Haven't you been reconciled with Mr. Lawrence?" she asked in surprise.

"I expect to go back after the season is over and tell him how sorry I
am that I caused him trouble."

"Please go, Larry. You'll go to please me, won't you?" she said
appealingly.

"I cannot see why it would please you to have me quit now, when I'm
most needed," he replied stiffly. "Surely you cannot know what you are
asking."

"It is such a little thing I ask," she pouted, "I'm sure you would if
you loved me."

The girl's eyes were filling. She had found him easy to handle by that
appeal only a few short months before, but now, as he saw her, he was
seized with a desire to laugh, as he realized that she was acting. The
words of Swanson: "You'll find out more than we will," flashed into his
mind, and he determined to meet acting with acting.

"Perhaps, Helen," he said softly, "if you could explain just why you
want me to quit playing I could see my way to do it."

"That is being a sensible boy," she said, bathing her eyes with a bit
of lace. "I don't like to see you making an exhibition of yourself
before a crowd--for money." She shrugged her beautiful shoulders
disdainfully.

"Is that all?" he asked quietly.

"All? Isn't it enough? And then there's Mr. Lawrence. I know he is
worrying about you."

"Any other reasons?" he inquired.

"Then there's Uncle Barney"----

"What has Barney Baldwin to do with it?" His voice was sharp, and the
girl hesitated under his steady scrutiny.

"You mustn't speak that way of my uncle," she said reprovingly. "I'm
sure he's only interested in you because of me. He says it is
imperative that you do not play any more with the Bears."

"Then Barney Baldwin ordered you to telephone for me to come here?" he
asked harshly.

"He merely wanted me to persuade you to quit that ridiculous game and
go back to Mr. Lawrence right away. He was only trying to save you."

For an instant he sat staring at the girl steadily. Then he said
slowly:

"What a fool I've been."

"Oh, Larry, Larry!" she exclaimed, frightened by his manner. "What's
the matter--is anything wrong?"

"Nothing wrong," he said, laughing mirthlessly. "Nothing wrong. You
may tell your uncle, with my compliments, that I will con