“The sweetest little gossip in school,” commented Jimmy. “All right, Dud, you leave it to me. Your Uncle James will fix it all hunky for you. You sit tight and—yes, that’s the game! Dud, you must go around looking very dignified for a couple of days.”
“Rot!”
“I mean it. You must make fellows think that you resisted a great temptation and that it has—er—has sobered you. Get me?”
“What temptation?” asked Dud, puzzled.
“Why, the temptation to lose your temper and beat Star up, of course,” explained Jimmy patiently. “That’s our line, don’t you see? It was only by—by superhuman control that you manfully resisted the impulse to fell him to the ground! Great stuff, what? You just wait till I tell it!”
“Jimmy, for the love of lemons don’t start anything else! Every time you get to talking you put me in a hole. You’ve got fellows thinking I’m a wit, and they all look at me in a funny sort of a way as if they were waiting for me to spring something bright, and I get tongue-tied and can’t think of a thing to say. And you’re telling it around that I’m going to be a wonderful pitcher, too. They don’t believe that, of course, but it makes me look silly. And now you want to make me out a—a scrapper——”
“Not at all, not at all! Star resented your remark about him and spoke insultingly to you. You gave him a beautiful calling down and he didn’t dare talk back. Then, when your back was turned, he tried to kick you, and you, stifling your—er—your natural and excusable indignation, kept your temper wonderfully and walked superbly away. All through the encounter your dignity was sublime!”
Dud groaned. “You’ll simply make me out an awful ass and fellows will laugh at you—and me. I wish you wouldn’t, Jimmy!”
“That remark merely shows how little you appreciate my powers of diplomacy,” replied the other in tones of sorrowful resignation. “But never mind. I shall continue to do my best for you, Dud, even though my efforts are unappreciated, misunderstood. Leave it all to me, my young friend. Appear very dignified and—and aloof. Let’s see you look aloof, Dud.”
Dud only looked disgusted.