Kansas University Weekly.
149
But they were such young puppies, those just departed callers of hers.
"But you're a nice fellow, too," said Polly. This was bare-faced flattery and meant that she was not sure of her position.
"And I didn't want to queer myself with you," she went on.
She looked up at me with one of her little mischievous looks, but I refused to smile. I pulled my frat. pin out of my pocket and began to fasten it on my vest.
"You see I'm right, don't you?" persisted Polly.
"Oh yes. Of course. Certainly", said I.
“Oh yes. Of course. Certainly”，said I. "Well, then，—” said Polly，“be a good boy," and she stretched towards me a pink palm.
I finished fastening the pin and thrust my hands into my pockets.
“When Miss Beatrice Sheridan had my pin,—” I began, watching the pink palm. But I got no farther.
"Beatrice never had your pin!" said Polly with a startled angry little gasp.
"Of course you would know." I said quietly. "As I was saying, when Miss Sheridan had my pin she wore it. I never found it on mantle-pieces there."
"Beatrice never had your pin," repeated Polly defiantly. Then she drew a quick little breath. "You told me that I was the only girl—"
"Oh, I may have been lying!" I said cheerfully.
My spirits rose again; till Polly looked up suddenly with a smile.
"Come into the parlor," she said, "and I'll sing you my new song."
"I am incorruptible," I said warning, "I never took a bribe."
Now Polly has a pair of white hands that it is pleasant to watch dancing over the piano keys, and her profile has the clearness and purity of a Burne-Jones head. So I took the easychair.
But Polly only laughed and I followed her into the parlor.
"Will you have the sofa or easy chair?" asked my Lady.
Polly sang me the new song, which I didn't like and said so. Then she began and went through my favorites without a pause except occasionally to turn the sheets of the music.
At last she glided into some familiar chords and sang with a quick glance and dimple at me,
"Take back the pin that thou gavest What is its meaning to me—"
then she laughed and turned about on the stool with conversational attitude.
I leaned back in my chair and put my finger tips together.
“Why,” said I reflectively, "why does a girl like to wear a man's fraternity pin?"
"Yes," I said. Mine was old style and never had been called a beauty anyhow.
Polly contracted her brows a little and boomed a bass key with an abstracted finger. "Well," she said, "sometimes it's because she likes the man, sometimes its because she likes the frat. Then some pins are pretty you know."
Polly laughed a little. "But principally there are the other girls," she said.
"I don't understand," said I.
"You're very stupid this evening," remonstrated Polly. "But oftener its the other girl."
"Oh!" I said, "Miss Sheridan."
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Packard," said Polly coldly.
"But isn't it?" said I.
"You have no right to insinuate—" said Polly.
“No more I have,” returned I readily,
“But—”
"Are you going to the Indoor Meet?" said Polly turning to her music.
“That will do as well as anything” said I, "but in this case—"
"You are not the only Chi Phi, Mr. Packard," observed Polly irrelevantly.
"No," I rejoined.
"Nor the handsomest."
"Granted."
"You are very lazy."
"I am," I admitted.
“And you are beginning to be—”