Thank you,
Paul, for what you say. I don't think I ever had any cause for worrying
that I didn't come straight to you for comfort. And I always got it,
too."

"Even when you and Dorothy had that nasty little spat that began to look
serious until I just happened to find the note that made all the trouble,
and forced Eli Kosmer to confess he wrote it. You remember that time,
Jack?"

"I guess I do. Dorothy often speaks of it to this day; for we're good
friends, and always will be. But see here, why do you just happen to
mention that business? Oh! I begin to see now," added Jack, as Paul
turned red in the face, and laughed in a rather constrained way.

"I shouldn't wonder but what you did. I'm sure I've denied every other
cause you could think of," he said, sighing heavily.

"It's Arline then. She's been doing something. Yes, I remember now that
I saw her out riding with Ward Kenwood only yesterday. Say, that dude has
been saying something that wasn't true about you, Paul, I'd just wager
anything. He's gone and poisoned her ears with a yarn. It'd be just like
the sneak!"

"Just go slow, Jack. You're saying something that you can't prove. Of
course I believe myself that Ward wouldn't stop at anything like that;
but without the least proof I can't accuse him of it," Paul said,
severely.

"But you could ask Arline?" his friend went on.

"Could I? Well, when a girl chooses to turn me down without a hearing,
and even smiles when she drives past me in the company of a fellow she
knows I detest, and whom she has often said she disliked, what then?
Think I would so far forget myself as to get down on my knees, and beg
her to take me back into favor? Bah!"

"Is it so bad as that then? Oh well, there are other girls just as pretty
as Arline; and you've always been a great favorite with them, Paul; but
hold on, why not let me try to straighten this thing out? You've helped
me all right; and tit for tat is fair play."

"H'm! how do you think you could do anything, Jack? I don't suppose you'd
care to go straight to her, and ask her point blank what I'd done to make
her treat me so cruelly? I shouldn't think of allowing that at all?"

Paul tried to display an air of indifference; but it was poorly assumed;
and his chum knew full well that he was much more pained at these strange
actions on the part of Arline than he cared to admit.

"Oh! there are ways and ways. For instance, you know that Dorothy is one
of the crowd of hi