oder boys. Dey's got to take dar
chances."

"Now, Mr. Kinzer," said Miss Almira, at that moment, "it's time we were
going home."

"Yes, Frank," said her mother patronizingly, "I think we had better be
going."

If such an exercise as "introduction" could earn it, they were both
entitled to good appetites; and, after all, it had been quite a nice
little affair.

Dabney was quite as tall as Miss Almira; but as they walked across the
green, side by side, he could not avoid a side-glance that gave him a
very clear idea of the difference between his present company and Annie
Foster. It was at that very moment that it occurred to Frank that he had
last walked home from church under the protecting wing of the portly and
matronly Mrs. Kinzer; and he could but draw some kind of a comparison
between her and Mrs. Myers.

"They're both widows," he thought; "but there isn't any other
resemblance."

Ford and Dick brought up the rear; and for some reason, or there may
have been more than one, they were both in capital good spirits.

"Tell you wot," exclaimed Dick: "if goin' to de 'cad'my is all like dis
yer--I am very glad indeed that I ever came."

"Oh! you're all right," said Ford; "but there's more good people in this
village than I'd any idea of. I'm glad we came to church."

"Dick," said Mrs. Myers a little sharply, when they reached the gate, "I
want some wood and a pail of water. You'd better hurry up stairs, and
put on your every-day clothes."

CHAPTER XXIX.

LETTERS HOME FROM THE BOYS.--DICK LEE'S FIRST GRIEF.

There was a large number of new scholars assembled in the "great room"
of Grantley Academy on the first Monday morning of that "fall term."
There were also many who had been there before, but the new-comers were
in the majority. There were boys from the village, boys from the
surrounding country, and boys from even farther away than the southern
shore of Long Island; and they were of many kinds and ages. The youngest
may have been "under twelve," and entitled to ride in a street-car at
half-price; and several of the very older ones had already cast their
first vote as grown-up men.

Counting them all, and adding those who were to make their appearance
during the week, they made a little army of nearly two hundred. There
was also a young ladies' department, with about a hundred pupils; and
there was quite as great a variety among them as among their young
gentlemen fellow-students.

The cla