"Why?"
"Oh, I don't know; I thought if I asked you, you'd accept out of plain good nature, for fear of throwing me down, and I didn't want that."
"Well, as it happened, I was determined to let the first advances come from you, for very much the same reason. Until just now, when I was so afraid you'd room with some one else that I couldn't wait another minute. I've lost all sense of maidenliness, you see."
"Maidenliness be hanged. You don't have to be maidenly when you've won your numerals at track."
That was on a Saturday. James had been out of town with the football team and did not return till late that evening. The next day he and Harry walked out to their old home together for their regular Sunday dinner with Aunt Selina. On the way they discussed at length the fine points of the game of the day before, in which James had played right half with great distinction. Presently he inquired:
"By the way, how about the fall meet yesterday? How did you come out?"
"Oh, fairly well. I only entered in the low hurdles, but I came out all right."
"All right?"
"Yes—first."
"What? Do you mean to say that you got first place in the hurdles?"