THE following Tuesday, shortly after the l

HE following Tuesday, shortly after the lights out bell sounded at ten o'clock, the kid heard a knock at his door.

"Come in," he said.

The door opened and Ronnie walked in. "Hi, Kid," he said. "Had to come up to see Jim Wilks a minute and thought I might as well check by to see where you roomed."

"That's swell, Ronnie," said the kid, enormously flattered that the school big shot was interested in where he, a new boy and lowly fourth classman, roomed. "Come on in and have a seat."

"Can't. Came up to get Jim for a monitor's meeting tonight, and I've got to get back down for the meeting myself. Say, you didn't say you were in a single room up here. Isn't it kind of lonesome rooming alone?"

"My folks asked the school to put me in a single room-thought I'd study better by myself, I guess. It gets pretty lonesome sometimes, but I'm getting more used to it now."

"Well, I've gotta run, Kid. I'll come back some other night when I've got a little time to visit. Good night."

"Good night, Ronnie." The kid went to sleep happy that night.

Sure enough, the demigod returned for the promised visit two nights later. "Come in," said the kid in response to the knock on his door.

"Hi, Kid," Ronnie said as he walked in and sat down, "how are things with you?"

"Swell, Ronnie," the kid replied. How could things be other than swell when THE big shot of the school pays you a visit? "How about you?"

'Bout the same as usual, I guess."

The eighteen year old and the fifteen year old sparred conversationally for a few minutes, the kid trying desperately to establish some bond of common interest between them as a basis for friendship. He was too young and inexperienced to know that his own hero-worship for the older boy was, in itself, what had brought them together in the first place and would be enough to keep interest alive until genuine friendship could be established or the admiration died out of itself. Ronnie's admiration of the kid was based on the kid's admiration for him. Youth is so very simple and at the same time, so terribly complex. Each boy aroused the interest of the other, and as long as the mutual bond of interest remained, the possibility of friendship was there.

After a short visit, Ronnie had to leave. "I gotta go, Kid. I'm in training, you know, and I'm supposed to be in bed by ten-thirty."

"Yeah, that's right. But you'll come back again, won't you, Ron? It gets sort of lonely up here with nobody to talk to, and I can hear the other guys talking and laughing in their rooms at night."

"Sure, I'll be back, Kid. By the way, we play our next three games away from home. I'll make a touchdown for you Saturday," Ronnie promised, feeling a touch of sympathy tinged with friendship for the kid.

"Gee-How fine!" said the kid, immensely pleased and flattered.

"Good night, Kid."

"Good night, Ron. Thanks a lot for coming by."

N Saturday morning the student body gathered at the bus to give the afternoon for the message which would signify victory or defeat. At last

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