am going to propose to her this very night.”      

       “Good Lord!” groaned Jimmy, as if his friend had been suddenly struck down in the flower of his youth.     

       “That's why you simply must come with me to the hop,” continued Alfred. “I want you to take care of her friend Aggie, and leave me alone with Zoie as much as possible.”      

       “Zoie!” sniffed Jimmy. The name to him was as flippant as its owner.     

       “True, strong name,” commented Alfred. “So simple, so direct, so like her. I'll have to leave you now,” he said, rising. “I must send her some flowers for the dance.” He turned at the door. Suppose I add a few from you for Aggie.”      

       “What!” exploded Jimmy.     

       “Just by way of introduction,” called Alfred gaily. “It's a good idea.”      

       Before Jimmy could protest further, he found himself alone for the second time that day. He ate his roast in gloomy silence. It seemed dry and tasteless. Even his favourite desert of plum pudding failed to rouse him       from his dark meditations, and he rose from the table dejected and forlorn.     

       A few hours later, when Alfred led Jimmy into the ballroom, the latter was depressed, not only by his friend's impending danger, but he felt an uneasy foreboding as to his own future. With his college course practically finished and Alfred attaching himself to unforeseen entities, Jimmy had come to the ball with a curious feeling of having been left suspended in mid-air.     

       Before he could voice his misgivings to Alfred, the young men were surrounded by a circle of chattering females. And then it was that Jimmy found himself looking into a pair of level brown eyes, and felt himself growing hot and cold by turns. When the little knot of youths and maidens disentangled itself into pairs of dancers, it became clear to Jimmy that he had been introduced to Aggie, and that he was expected to dance with her.     

       As a matter of fact, Jimmy had danced with many girls; true, it was usually when there was no other man left to “do duty”; but still he had done it. Why then should he feel such distressing hesitation about placing his arm around the waist 

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