I'd done my
level best to win for Oakdale if I'd ever got the chance."

"You're a fool," returned Herbert coldly. "Springer is a fool, too.
He made a chump of himself when he taught Grant to pitch. In this
world the fellow who looks out for himself and lets others do the same
for themselves is the one who gets along. You can bank on that every
time. Think it over and see if I'm not right. Good night." With
which expression of selfish wisdom, he turned up his coat collar,
snapped aside his half-smoked cigarette and took his departure, leaving
Phil and Roy staring at each other in uncomfortable silence.

After a time Springer succeeded in forcing a laugh.

"That's just about what you told me a few days ago, Hook," he said,
"but I really didn't need anyone to point out that I had made a fool of
myself. Sorry I didn't wait to make sure rain was going to stop the
game to-day. What makes it worse, I told my folks a lie about that
game. I'll feel cheap enough when they fuf-find out the truth. Guess
I'll be going, too. So long, Hook."

"Good night," said Roy.

He stood at the open door and watched Phil's figure disappear into the
gloom of the rainy night that was coming on.

"Told your folks a lie, did you?" he muttered after a time. "Well,
that wasn't half as bad as stealing from them, and I----" Without
finishing the sentence, he closed the door of the carriage house.

CHAPTER XXI.

A PERSISTENT RASCAL.

Nearly always it is false pride that spurs on the naturally decent
fellow who realizes he has made a mistake and knows deep down in his
heart that the course he is pursuing is wrong. Thus it was with Phil
Springer. Time and again his conscience condemned him and his judgment
bade him come forth like a man and own up to his error, but his pride
would not let him yield.

And so Phil found himself sulking at school, seeking to bear the
atmosphere of one who had been treated outrageously, and growing more
and more resentful and sullen as time passed and none of the fellows
came around to coddle and coax him. He had felt certain that he would
be approached by some of them, and repeatedly he had rehearsed the
speeches by which he would let them know exactly how he felt about it,
resolved carefully to avoid uttering a word which might convey the
impression that he regarded himself as a single whit at fault.

But no one--not even Cooper or Tuttle--approached him, and he began to
believe that the t