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Show way out, and that she was wearing a diamond he had not observed on her 1 hand before. Boiton Globe. curiD c:r xni: cr.irii:o:r. Fo"y el! J tiie ring tick and forth on her finger, watchlny the reflection of the flames In the sparkling stone.' "I I fancy you had tetter take thta back," 6he salJ. her glance meeting that of the young nian on the hassock at her feet "Polly! "And you'd tetter fall me Miss "West-cott "West-cott too or at least Pauline," sh continued. con-tinued. - "Pollyr Huntington did not remove his gaze from her face. "Here," she said, handing him the ring. "If J have to go to all the dances andproma and theater parties with other men. I will not wear yonr ring." There was an air of finality about Polly which very much amused her companion, com-panion, but ha had more tact than to give evidence of It "You had better keep it, dear," he aald. "Mlsa Westeott, pleaae," Polly corrected, cor-rected, her eyes flashing challenglngly. What right had he to take hla dismissal dismis-sal so coolly! Huntington took the ring and fastened fas-tened It on his Kappa Sigma pin pendant-wise. Polly watched him. "I hate football." she cried with vehemence. "It wal at football game that we met," reminded Huntington. "Waa It? 1 had forgotten." Huntington hugged hla knee and watched the flamea dance. He knew she had not forgotten. "You became engaged to me on the way home from a football game, too," he persisted. "I had forgotten that, also," she retorted, re-torted, frigidly. Huntington suppressed a smile which, had It been allowed to escape, might have ended in uproarious laughter. "And It is over football that we have become er disengaged, temporarily." It was with trepidation that the big halfback added the final word. "Temporarily, indeed!" Polly could not summon YOlce for further utterance. utter-ance. Hla presumption waa without precedent Huntington nodded hla head at her, and dangled the ring on hla walstooat "I want you to understand distinctly, Mr. Huntington, that our engagement la at an end, definitely and finally." "And may I ask why?" ' "For the good and sufficient reason that you refuse to take me to the dance on Friday night and all because you are in training for that wretched game. Oh, I have plenty or menas wno win be glad to go with me, but I will not put them to a disadvantage by" asking them to escort an engaged girl so now!" Polly's cheeks bad taken on some of the more delicate hues of the burning logs In the fireplace. Huntington was silent. Polly was In earnest then. She had broken their engagement because he must adhere to the rules laid down for men In training for the big game. His college team counted him among Its strongest play ers; he could not go back on It. Surely Polly must realise this, "See here, Polly." he began, but she Interrupted him. "I will not listen. Mr. Huntington, and I might add that you may vine the present interview aa soon as you like." She leaned back In her chair and hummed a snatch of song, utterly '.g-noring '.g-noring him. Huntington rose and took bis hat. "All light. Polly! When you are rady to talk sensibly and wear this ring again let me know." And before she could look around she heard the big door close and he waa gone. Alone, she slid from her chair and aat on the little hassock h had le'f so abruptly. How queer and unadorned her left hand looked, and yes there was an odd, Indescribable feeling somewhere some-where else on her left side. Why did any one invent football? And yet, Polly soliloquized, had It not been for the game she might never have met him and loved blm. It 'was his big handsome presence on the field which had first attracted ber, and It waa after a splendidly won game that she had accepted blm. Polly burled her head In her arms on the big chair and cried because of football, of course, and Its evils. "Huntington's playing the game of hla life," said -Teddy Lathrop, when time had been called on the first half of the big Intercollegiate game. "Yes?" Polly Westcott'e reply was given in a far-away tone. She wished they had not called time. She did not want the player to leave the field at alL She could not ree them during the intermission. "He's been In strict training thle season, sea-son, and he's in fine form," went on the Innocent Lathrop, shifting about to see wnat Polly was staring at. He could see nothing Interesting in the vacant (pace on which her glance waa focused, but then Lathrop was a freshman, and had not known. "Now watch him, he cried, as the signal for the second half was given. I As if Polly would do anything else! Cheer after cheer went up from the j grandstand as one rood play after another an-other took place on the gridiron, but i Polly saw only one of the two eleven, though she cheered mechanically with I the others. How proud ehe waa that Huntington had not gone to the old dances, but had kept in such good trim. Anyway, she believed the dances were not so Jolly as they had been formerly she had not enjoyed them very much. "Huntington's hurt!" cried Lathrop, switching Polly's train of thought suddenly. sud-denly. "What?" Polly's eyes followed the little procession which was carrying a man oft the field. "Take me oft the stand, quick!!' Lathrop took her arm and they hurried hur-ried from the grandstand. "Where shall I take you?" he asked, quite at a loss to comprehend the situation. situ-ation. "To to over there!" she cried., running run-ning in the direction of the little shed which the teams called the "hospital." Without asking permission she entered and looked at the man on the low cot. "Ia is he much hurt?" she asked. "Let me," she insisted, rubbing Huntington's Hunt-ington's forehead, and kneeling beside him while the others stood around i:i blank astonishment. "Just knocked silly, I reckon, Miss Westeott," drawled a big Kentucklan. who knew both Polly and Huntington and Cupid. "Hello. Hunt! he said, as Huntington opened his eyes. "Come fellows, he's all right." Polly flashed him a look of gratitude as the crowd left the little room. . "Mr. Lathrop, you mustn't miss .he game, really," she added, aa the fresh-, man stood politely Impatient. And although Lathrop waa only a freshman he noticed that when he took Miss Westeott home after the game she was happier than she bad been on the' |