ng at I--well, I'll have to make you, that's all."

Fred had run foul of Roderick McRae at school and knew from painful
experience that it was not safe to make him very angry.

"Well, you needn't get so hot about it," he said half apologetically.
"I merely hinted that you--well, you can't help seeing it yourself--"

"Seeing what, you blockhead?"

"Seeing that she--that Leslie doesn't care two pins about anybody but
you. She'd be glad if I went West to-morrow." The hot blood rushed
into Roderick's face. He turned upon the young man, but they were
passing under an electric light and the look of misery in Fred's face
disarmed him. He burst into derisive laughter.

"Well, of all the idiots!" he exclaimed. "You ought to be horsewhipped
for insulting a young lady so. Can't you see, you young madman, that
she's just trying to show a little bit of polite gratitude? I know I
don't deserve it, but she seems to be as grateful to me for helping you
that night on the lake, and you must be a fool if you think anything
else."

The young man walked on for a little in silence. Then he said, in
quite a changed tone, "Are you sure, Rod?"

"Yes, of course," shouted Roderick, "you ought to be shut up in a mad
house for thinking anything else."

"Well, she told everybody in the town last fall that I upset her, just
to give you the glory," he said resentfully.

"Pshaw," cried Roderick disgustedly. "She did it for pure fun, and you
ought to have taken it that way. You don't deserve her for a friend."

Fred seemed to be pondering this for a while, and finally he said,
"Well, maybe you're right. Only I--well, you know how I feel about
Leslie. She--we've been chums ever since we were kids, and you may be
sure I don't like the idea of any other fellow cutting in ahead of me
now."

"Well, wait till some fellow does before you jump on him again," said
Roderick, so hotly that the other grew apologetic.

"I didn't mean to be such a jay, Rod. It's all right if you say so. I
guess I was crazy. If you just give me your word that you haven't
intentions towards her, why, it'll be all right."

Roderick gave the assurance with all his heart, and Fred insisted upon
shaking hands over it, and they parted on the best of terms.

But Roderick felt covered with shame when he found himself alone on the
Pine Road. He could not deny to his heart that Fred's suspicions had
some little reason in them, and the knowledge filled him with di