“Listen to me,” said Mr. Borden as Dan’s confusion became still more manifest. “I understand how you feel. You thought you were accepting favors. You thought I believed that if you roomed with Walter he would do better work. He hasn’t done better work and you thought you were not living up to your part. I sincerely trust that Walter has not been such a ‘cad’ as to make you feel in any way that you were under obligations to him or me.” As Dan was silent, Mr. Borden went on. “Let me say right here, Dan, that I am more than satisfied with my part. I know Walter and I think I know you. If at any time you want to leave him and room with some other boy, I shall not object. I don’t believe there is a better investment than putting money into men. If I could only buy for Walter what he needs I should not stop at the expense. And, Dan, there’s another point.” “Yes, sir.” “Sometimes I think it is a better, a truer test of a real man to receive than it is to give. It’s harder sometimes too. But I’m talking with you about our bargain. I want you to stick to it. You will, I know. Ah, here comes Walter,” Mr. Borden added hastily as his boy entered the room. Dan at once departed and for an hour sat in the library holding a book but not reading a word. An hour later he returned to his room. As he entered he saw that Walter was alone, but his roommate sprang to his feet and his face was livid with anger as he faced Dan. CHAPTER XXIV THE OPENING OF THE LEAGUE GAMES “You liar! You mucker! You low-down telltale!” shouted Walter, looking straight into the face of his roommate. “I might have known you’d spy on me. That’s what all the fellows said you’d do! And now you’ve done it!” Dan rose as Walter’s tirade continued. For a moment he looked steadily at the angry boy and, though his face was colorless, without a word he started toward the door. “Hold on!” shouted Walter, springing in front of Dan and closing the door. “You don’t crawl out that way! I’d like to know what you have to say for yourself. We’ll have this out right now while we’re at it. I’d like to know what you have to say for yourself!” “About what?” “About what I’ve just said.” “You’ll have to explain yourself.” “‘Explain’; ‘Explain’!” retorted Walter. “I ‘explain’! You’re the one, I guess, to do the explaining. Gus Kiggins says you can make a pet of a toad, but a toad will still be a toad to the end of the chapter, and I guess he’s about right.” “How about a hog, Walter?” The sneering query escaped Dan’s lips before he was fairly aware of what he had said. Deeply as he regretted his momentary failure to control his tongue he was aware that his provocation was great and that he had been most unjustly accused. “Who are you to talk about hogs?” demanded Walter. “I know a little about them. We raised a few on the farm. They are interesting animals, Walter, if you go at them in the right way.”