interest.

"It's a cross projection from a house diagonally opposite us," he said,
after studying the picture a moment. "It must be that old red studio
building on the southwest corner of the square. If we had a room back of
this and looking toward the west, we could see the real window."

"As it is," said Laurie, "we've got a reserved seat for an intimate
study of any one who lives there. I wonder who has that studio?"

Bangs had no idea. He was grateful to the little episode, however, for
spreading over the yielding ground beneath his feet the solid strip on
which he had crossed back to his chum. He threw an arm across Laurie's
shoulders and looked into his face, with something in his expression
that reminded young Devon of a favorite collie he had loved and lost in
boyhood.

"All right now?" the look asked, just as the dog's look had asked it of
the little chap of ten, when something had gone wrong. Rodney's creed of
life was held together by a few primitive laws, the first of which was
loyalty. Already he was reproaching himself for what he had said and
done. Laurie carefully completed the tying of his tie, and turned to him
with his gayest smile.

"Hurry up and finish dressing," he cheerfully suggested, "and we'll go
out to breakfast. Since you insist on waiting 'round for me like Mary's
little lamb, I suppose I've got to feed you."

Rodney's wide grin responded, for the first time in many days. He
bustled about, completing his toilet, and ten minutes later the two
young men started out together with a lightness of spirit which each
enjoyed and neither wholly understood. Both had a healthy horror of
"sentimental stuff" and a gay, normal disregard of each other's feelings
in ordinary intercourse. But in the past half-hour, for the first time
in their association, they had come close to a serious break, and the
soul of each had been chilled by a premonitory loneliness as definite as
the touch of an icy finger. In the quick reaction they experienced now
their spirits soared exultantly. They breakfasted in a fellowship such
as they had not known since Barbara's marriage, the month before.

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