“Now you look here, Johnnie,” William said, vehemently, “and you listen, too, Joe!  You both got seven dances apiece with her, anyway, all on account of my not getting here early enough, and you got to—­”

“It wasn’t because of any such reason,” young Mr. Watson protested.  “I asked her for mine two days ago.”

“Well, that wasn’t fair, was it?” William cried.  “Just because I never thought of sneaking in ahead like that, you go and—­”

“Well, you ought to thought of it,” Johnnie retorted, jerking his arm free of William’s grasp.  “I can’t stand here Gabbin’ all night!” And he hurried away.

“Joe,” William began, fastening more securely upon Mr. Bullitt—­“Joe, I’ve done a good many favors for you, and—­”

“I’ve got to see a man,” Mr. Bullitt interrupted.  “Lemme go, Silly Bill.  There’s some body I got to see right away before the next dance begins.  I got to!  Honest I have!”

William seized him passionately by the lapels of his coat.  “Listen, Joe.  For goodness’ sake can’t you listen a minute?  You got to give me—­”

“Honest, Bill,” his friend expostulated, backing away as forcefully as possible, “I got to find a fellow that’s here to-night and ask him about something important before—­”

“Ye gods!  Can’t you wait a minute?” William cried, keeping his grip upon Joe’s lapels.  “You got to give me anyway two out of all your dances with her!  You heard her tell me, yourself, that she’d be willing if you or Johnnie or—­”

“Well, I only got five or six with her, and a couple extras.  Johnnie’s got seven.  Whyn’t you go after Johnnie?  I bet he’d help you out, all right, if you kept after him.  What you want to pester me for, Bill?”

The brutal selfishness of this speech, as well as its cold-blooded insincerity, produced in William the impulse to smite.  Fortunately, his only hope lay in persuasion, and after a momentary struggle with his own features he was able to conceal what he desired to do to Joe’s.

He swallowed, and, increasing the affectionate desperation of his clutch upon Mr. Bullitt’s lapels, “Joe,” he began, huskily—­“Joe, if I’d got six reg’lar and two extras with Miss Pratt her last night here, and you got here late, and it wasn’t your fault—­I couldn’t help being late, could I?  It wasn’t my fault I was late, I guess, was it?  Well, if I was in your place I wouldn’t act the way you and Johnnie do—­not in a thousand years I wouldn’t!  I’d say, ‘You want a couple o’ my dances with Miss Pratt, ole man?  Why, certainly—­’”

“Yes, you would!” was the cynical comment of Mr. Bullitt, whose averted face and reluctant shoulders indicated a strong desire to conclude the interview.  “To-night, especially!” he added.

“Look here, Joe,” said William, desperately, “don’t you realize that this is the very last night Miss Pratt’s going to be in this town?”