"You had it right. I was wrong, an' — an'
I'm sorry for what I said. Is that enough?"

"Plenty," answered the reporter, "and if
you don't mind my saying so, I'm sorry too. I
had no idea it would hit you so hard."
,[198](



OUT OP HIS CLA.SS



' ' Hard ! ' ' groaned 'Malley. " It 's a knock-
out!"

Belcher was soon on his way to catch an edi-
tion, and as the door closed behind him thd
toughest little man in the lightweight division
took the full count with his face among the
breakfast dishes. Lew Arthur, on the couch,
watched him shrewdly and chewed a dead
cigar.
"You fell too hard, Joe," said he at last.
"Too damn hard, an' that's why it hurts so
much. Everybody gits it one time or another.
There was a girl in Butte once — ^but never
mind that. I know how you feel. You fell too
hard."

The broken gladiator looked up suddenly.
"She told me just now she never cared a
snap for me, one way or the other. Then why
was she fooUn' wit' me? She started it — ^I
didn 't. "Wliat did she do it for, Lew ? "

The little manager tossed away his cigar and
leaped to his feet.
"That's it! What for? Now you're gittin'
some sense. You 're beginnin ' to use your bean,
Joe. This dame — ^it was her put the notion of
retirin' into your head, wasn't it?"

O 'Malley nodded.
"She let you think that if you retired she'd
marry you, hey? An' you, Uke a boob, fell for
it?"

O'MaUey nodded again.
