his shoes to empty them of sand, and in doing so filled
the gayly coloured work-bag that was Vivi's. His toilette finished, he
took up the bag to clean it in turn. At the first touch as fate had
decreed a book tumbled out and lay with opened pages before him. It
looked most suspiciously like a diary. He averted his eyes and then his
glance came slowly back to it.

"Here, that's not square," he said to himself angrily, torn by a mighty
temptation. He leaned over and closed the book abruptly. The next moment
he was staring at three gilded words that confronted him with the
suddenness of Belshazzar's vision:

THE CHAP RECORD

A sudden brain storm swept over the emotional nature of Mr. Skippy
Bedelle, of the sort which in modern legal etiquette is held to excuse
all crimes. He knew what a chap record was. He had found one in his
sister Clara's bureau and had been lavishly paid for his silence. He
opened it violently and this is what he read:

HARRY FELTON. June 30-Sept. 6th. Good-looking in a soapy sort of way,
but dull: Good dancer, agonizingly slow at a twosing. Takes what you
give him and is grateful. Good for last minute calls.

JOE RANDOLPH. July 2d-August 6th. Awfully lavish and liberal. Spoiled
and hard to keep in place. Useful later. Salt away for College Prom.

CHARLES BROWNRIGGER. Xmas to--. Terribly proper and easily shocked.
Every girl an angel. Seeking a good influence. Good only for concerts
and lectures.

CHARLIE DULER. Easter vacation. Professional flirt. Tried hard for him
but no go. On to all the old tricks. Too much alike.

HECTOR CHISOLM. May 3 to May 6th. Three day rush fast and furious. Nice
teeth and eyes, cold English style in daytime but wilts rapidly in the
moonlight. Dreadfully exciting. Au revoir!

* * * * *

Having thus wandered through the carnage, Skippy braced himself and
read:

* * * * *

JACK BEDELLE. August 20th--Dreadfully young and conceited, feed him on
flattery--nice eyes but funny nose--poor conversationalist but works
hard. Dreadful dancer. Pretends indifference but awfully soft in spots.
Hooked him in twenty minutes--

* * * * *

Skippy laid the book down in his lap and glanced up the beach which
showed no signs of an advancing parasol. Then he looked at his watch
which indicated exactly the half hour. He sat a long moment thinking.
Then he opened