It was the doctor's offering him a position in a friend's office that brought matters to a head. Ralph refused it with a painful air. He could give no reason for it to the doctor. Afterwards when I had him alone with me I saw that it was coming.
"That certainly was decent of Dr. ——," he said diffidently. "I don't know why he's so good to me."
"Oh, you're not a bad sort of boy," I said lightly.
"You, too," he said shyly. "Especially you. I—I never had a man friend before."
I smiled encouragingly.
"I suppose you wonder why I couldn't take the position?" he went on.
"That's your affair."
"But I want to tell you. I—I wouldn't be allowed to take it. I am not a free agent."
"Perhaps we could help you to be one," I suggested.
"I don't know. Maybe you wouldn't want to have anything more to do with me. Oh, there's a lot I want to tell you!" he cried imploringly. "But I don't know how you'll take it."