"Nothing, Kid. Why?"

"Well, the other night, you said you'd been coming up here to see me too much; then you didn't answer me when I said good night, and tonight you didn't want to come in and talk to me. What's wrong? Aren't you and I buddies any more?"

"Sure, Kid, we're buddies. I like you, all right. I guess that's the trouble. I like you too damned much."

"There's nothing wrong with your liking me, is there? I don't think you could like me too much-not too much for me, anyway."

"You're swell, Kid," Ronnie whispered.

It was late when Ronnie left the kid's room that night.

URING the following week, Ronnie went out of his way to avoid the kid. When they would accidentally meet in the corridor, Ronnie would turn his head to avoid looking the kid in the eye. It was a pretty terrible week for both boys.

Saturday came at last and with it the next to the last football game of the season. It was pretty awful. Ronnie received the opening kickoff and fumbled on his own 27 yard line with Thomas Prep recovering. On the first play after the recovery, the Thomas left end got in behind Ronnie and caught a touchdown pass. They converted to go ahead 7-0. After the quick touchdown, the two teams see-sawed up and down the field with neither being able to score. It was three downs and kick-over and over. Ronnie's usual accurate passing was sadly off, and he was unable to get off on one of his long sure-footed spectacular runs. He was flat. Finally in the last quarter, Ed Adams got away on the end around for 54 yards and a touchdown, but they missed the point, and that's the way the game ended-7-6 favor of Thomas Prep.

After the game, the members of the varsity started disconsolately for the dressing room. The kid ran from the stands and caught up with the dejected figure of the fallen hero as he trudged along, dangling his helmet from listless fingers. The kid took the helmet from him.

"Don't you remember? I'm supposed to carry this for you. I'm your helmet bearer."

Ronnie looked at the kid with disbelieving eyes. "What are you doing talking to me?"

"We're buddies, aren't we?"

"After what happened?"

"Hell, Ronnie, anybody can have a bad day. Don't you remember telling me. not to worry-it's just a game."

"That's not what I was talking about."

"Nothing else happened that we didn't want to happen, did it, Ron?"

A great weight lifted from Ronnie's shoulders. "Kid, you're All-American! Wait for me after supper, will you? We'll go to town and celebrate. Suit you?" "Nothing could be finer," said the kid, happy to be back in the good graces of his hero once more. He scampered off happily to wait for Ronnie.

HE next week was a happy one for the two boys. Ronnie visited the kid several nights during the week, and he promised the kid that the team would beat their traditional rival, Babbitt Prep, for the state prep title.