"Look here, Joe," said William, desperately, "don't you realize that
this is the very last night Miss Pratt's going to be in this town?"

"You bet I do!" These words, though vehement, were inaudible; being
formed in the mind of Mr. Bullitt, but, for diplomatic reasons, not
projected upon the air by his vocal organs.

William continued: "Joe, you and I have been friends ever since you and
I were boys." He spoke with emotion, but Joe had no appearance of being
favorably impressed. "And when I look back," said William, "I expect
I've done more favors for you than I ever have for any oth--"

But Mr. Bullitt briskly interrupted this appealing reminiscence.
"Listen here, Silly Bill," he said, becoming all at once friendly and
encouraging--"Bill, there's other girls here you can get dances with.
There's one or two of 'em sittin' around in the yard. You can have a
bully time, even if you did come late." And, with the air of discharging
happily all the obligations of which William had reminded him, he added,
"I'll tell you THAT much, Bill!"

"Joe, you got to give me anyway ONE da--"

"Look!" said Mr. Bullitt, eagerly. "Look sittin' yonder, over under
that tree all by herself! That's a visiting girl named Miss Boke; she's
visiting some old uncle or something she's got livin' here, and I bet
you could--"

"Joe, you GOT to--"

"I bet that Miss Boke's a good dancer, Bill," Joe continued, warmly.
"May Parcher says so. She was tryin' to get me to dance with her myself,
but I couldn't, or I would of. Honest, Bill, I would of! Bill, if I was
you I'd sail right in there before anybody else got a start, and I'd--"

"Ole man," said William, gently, "you remember the time Miss Pratt and I
had an engagement to go walkin', and you wouldn't of seen her for a week
on account of your aunt dyin' in Kansas City, if I hadn't let you go
along with us? Ole man, if you--"

But the music sounded for the next dance, and Joe felt that it was
indeed time to end this uncomfortable conversation. "I got to go, Bill,"
he said. "I GOT to!"

"Wait just one minute," William implored. "I want to say just this:
if--"

"Here!" exclaimed Mr. Bullitt. "I got to GO!"

"I know it. That's why--"

Heedless of remonstrance, Joe wrenched himself free, for it would have
taken a powerful and ruthless man to detain him longer. "What you take
me for?" he demanded, indignantly. "I got this with Miss PRATT!"

And evading a hand which still sought to clutch h