The athletes, being men of vulgar minds, burst into a roar of laughter which shocked Mr. Jones exceedingly. Finding nothing better to do, he was forced to join in amusement at his own expense. "Gee, I'm going to miss my supper," cried Kelly, and, with a breezy "Good bye" to Virginia and Joe, and a hurried "Come on" to Mr. Jones, he rushed away. Mr. Jones was astounded at this exhibition of haste and ill-breeding, before this lady of position. However, he found himself torn between conflicting desires. He would have gladly spent some hours in the company of Miss Dale engaged in elegant conversation, but, at the moment, for the life of him, he could recall no subject of sufficient gentility for discussion. "Come on, Jones," came Kelly's voice from the hall. Virginia had taken Kelly's chair and, leaning over the bed, was engrossed in conversation with the injured man. The presence of Mr. Jones was being overlooked. He deemed it better to depart with Kelly. Immediate action was essential. He arose and again bowed deeply. "Allow me," he pleaded, in dulcet tones, "to express my delight and joy in meeting Miss Dale and to inform her that circumstances beyond my individual control require my withdrawal from her company." "Blow, Jonesy, before your beans get cold," suggested Joe. At this low remark, Mr. Jones straightened up to his full height very suddenly and stepped backwards with dignity. Unhappily, his heel hooked against the leg of his chair and twisted the piece of furniture beneath him so that, tripping, he lost his balance upon the waxed floor. Simultaneously, Mr. Jones lost his dignity and waved his arms wildly in a frantic endeavor to recover himself. "Come on," Kelly urged again. Mr. Jones obeyed the words of his trainer literally. Coming on over the chair, he landed with a crash between the beds on the other side of the aisle. "Bring the ambulance up here," suggested a facetious patient. Sore in mind and body, Mr. Jones was assisted to his feet by the helpful Miss Knight. "I stumbled," he explained to her in excuse. "It's a darn good thing you didn't fall," replied the nurse with ill-concealed sarcasm. Virginia had watched Mr. Jones's acrobatic performances with mixed emotions. She glanced at her wrist watch and, rising, leaned over to bid Joe farewell. He caught her hand and held it. For a moment the black eyes were gazing squarely into the depths of the blue ones, and no word passed between the two, yet they were filled with a new, strange joyousness. "I must go," she whispered gently, and pulled her hand from Joe's as she turned towards the stricken Mr. Jones. "I hope you are not hurt," she told him and left the ward with a nod at Kelly at the door. Seizing his hat, Mr. Jones limped slowly after her. "You'll get better control of your muscles after Mike handles you a bit," Joe called after him.