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SAY, you haven't been" Eric paused and, screwing up his eyebrows, regarded Smith with the air of one who finds it difficult to express what is in his mind.

"I haven't been?" queried Smith.

"You know I told you that you'd find Marjie a—"

"A regular old water-jump," suggested Smith, as the boy paused once more. "You most certainly did, Eric."

"You know she's frightfully dece," he added hastily, as if in his previous words he had been guilty of dis- loyalty, "but—" Again he paused.

"But what?" enquired Smith.

"You see," Eric continued, after frowning at Smith for several seconds, the sun was in his eyes and he was puzzled how to proceed. "You see, I'm afraid she doesn't altogether like you—yet," he added.

"I too had begun to suspect it," said Smith drily.

"Well, you see," cried Eric, his brow clearing. "We've got to make her."

"We?"

"Yes, you and me. You see," he continued confidentially, "women are like that. They never like the fellows that they—that they really like." 260