I hope you take a big brace over to-night and play up to the possibilities of your part." "You take care of your end, and I'll take care of mine!" was her sharp retort.
Barney was flustered for a moment by his second failure to dominate Maggie.

"Oh, well, we'll not row," he tried to say easily.

"We understand each other, and we're each trying to help the other fellow's game--that's the main point." The two men left, Jimmie without kissing his daughter good-night.

This caused Maggie no surprise.

A kiss, not the lack of it, would have been the thing that would have excited wonder in Maggie.
Barney went away well satisfied on the whole with the manner in which the affair was progressing, and with his management of it and of Maggie.
Maggie was obstinate, to be sure; but he'd soon work that out of her.