led. Before I was through he had begun to
walk up and down the little room with a nervousness that made his pace
almost such a jog as football players use when they come out upon the
field.

"You're right," he said when I was done. "You're so right that
everything else connected with the incident is wrong--and that's the
hardest part for me to admit. You deserve to fight this out alone--it
belongs to you. I wish I had a fight like yours to make. But if you'll
let me help you--?"

"Let you? Why, I _need_ your help!"

"Then you'll have it. I'll be glad--mighty glad to chime in with you--"

He stopped short, his tremendous frame red-lined in the fire's glow, his
cheeks above his square jaw as bright as the flames themselves.

I could not answer him sentimentally. My comfort and gratitude were too
deep, my suddenly gained encouragement too surging for the narrow outlet
of words. But after a while we began to plan. We would fight it
together--and immediately.

When I got up to go, his Bible was lying open at the beginning of the
New Testament, with a ribbon and tiny silver cross to mark the place.
When Fred saw me looking at it, he must have felt some part of the
strange, shivery misgiving which had come over me. For he took the
ribbon in his fingers, so that the cross lay gleaming in his palm.

"It is Christ's symbol," he said. "It is the sign of one who
suffered--and who was a Jew."

Then, as if he must leave me no doubt of his meaning in my mind:

"Don't worry. The cross won't stand between us. Though--" His eyes
travelled slowly to the shelf above the fireplace. "Look! There's a
symbol of _your_ religion, too."

So I looked. Gleaming brass, its seven uplifting arms gracefully curved,
stood a--Menorah!

XIX

"BATTLE ROYAL!"

I awoke the next morning to an insistent knocking at my door. I sprang
out of bed and opened it. In the hall, their dress showing signs of much
haste, stood Sayer and Braley. They did not wait my invitation, but
strode at once into the room and, throwing the rumpled covers from the
bed, plumped down upon it.

"See here," said Braley, without prelude, "what's this talk about Fred's
calling a special meeting of the senior class for tonight? Do you know
anything about it?"

I smiled my way out of a pajama top. "Really?" I exclaimed. "Well, I did
hear Fred say something about it last night."

"Oh, so you talked it over with him? Did you ask for the meeting?"

I had thrown on