"I've saved the fifth two-step and the seventh waltz for you," said Dolly, squeezing his arm ever so lightly, "though you haven't asked me yet." The summer was long and she was quite aware that in another ten days the resplendent Mr. Hicks would pass as Shelley had passed. Besides she secretly admired Skippy's sporting manner in adversity. "Awfully good of you," he said lightly, "but see here, Dolly, don't bother about me. Hickey's got us all skinned hollow when it comes to this game. Go ahead, keep on dancing with him. Go as far as you like." "My, but he waltzes divinely!" said Dolly, relieved. "He's a wonder, all right, and a cracker-jack at anything he touches! Sambones says he'll make the varsity, certain next year." "What happened about his leaving school?" "That--that was an outrage," said Skippy, who would have scorned to attack a rival meanly. "I'll tell you all about that." "You're sure you don't mind my dancing so much with him?" said Dolly, who had allowed Hickey to cut in six dances running. "I? Bless you, no!" "It's just his wonderful dancing," said Dolly, looking down. "Don't blame you. He is A No. 1 with his feet all right," said Skippy, and he added carelessly, "wonderful how he manages it, too, with his infirmity." "His infirmity?" said Dolly, startled. "Did I say infirmity?" said Skippy, pretending surprise. "For heaven's sake, don't tell any one. Gee, I shouldn't have said that." "Yes, but what infirmity?" said Dolly, now in a high state of excitement. Skippy compressed his lips to show that they were forever sealed, and moved away. But he noted with satisfaction that the next time Miss Dolly Travers passed whirling about the great man, instead of the rapturous upturned gaze, was one of alarmed curiosity. The next day at the beach Dolly opened up at once the question of infirmities. "Dolly," said Skippy firmly, "I'm not going to say any more, so it's no use trying to pump me. I'm ashamed to have said what I did. A feller can't help what he's got, or what he hasn't got, can he? And it's only a foolish prejudice after all." "But Jack--" "There was another fellow at school," said Skippy, without attention, "who had a glass eye, but he was a positive nuisance. He used to take it out and leave it around. No one could stand roomin' with him. It certainly gave you the creeps to be lookin' on the table for a collar button or a pen and find--" But here Dolly gave a shriek and fled with her hands over her ears. Now Skippy had made no direct insinuation (he always had the greatest respect for the letter of the truth), but it is a fact that when forty-eight hours later the Mathers gave a dance, Hickey became suddenly aware of a complete change of attitude among the feminine portion of his admirers.