Page:Fighting blood (IA fightingblood00witw).pdf/125

 putting things, I can't help laughing at some of the things you say. I—you are so different from any of the boys that—well, I'm not sure that isn't one of the reasons I like you. I have a deep and sincere admiration for your determination to make something out of yourself, as you put it, and I know, I'm positive you will! You won't be able to help yourself, Gale, you're fated to succeed—I—just feel it. Why, look what you've accomplished since you first came to Drew City. You won't be a prize fighter long, and then"

"Listen, Judy," I butt in—I got a one-track mind. "Just now when you started to talk you said you liked me. Does that go?"

Her face gets a deep scarlet, and, gee, but it's becoming! Now it's her turn to look the other way and I'm just slowly turning her around and who knows what might of happened, when Nate pushes aside the portieres and walks into the room. Nate's own mother don't like him no more than I do, but right then I could of smacked him for a Russian picalilli plate and had a clear conscience! Judy, of course, ducked immediately.

"Did I bust up anything?" grins Nate.

"Why don't you blow your horn?" I growls. "No, you didn't bust up nothing, because there's nothing to bust up, but if"

"But if I had put off coming in here till to-morrow I wouldn't of got nobody sore!" Nate cuts me off, still grinning. He takes a little box out of his pocket and hands it to me. "Merry Birthday!" he says, slapping me on the back. At's the best I could get you.