. Glad
there's plenty of it. Mother Kinzer, you and Miranda must try that
recipe Dab sent for the new pudding."

"New pudding, indeed! Why, she doesn't put in half eggs enough. But I'm
glad she's a good cook. We'll have that pudding for dinner this very
day."

"So will we," said Mrs. Foster.

"Miss Kinzer," said Dick's mother, "jes' won't you show me how to make
dat puddin'? I's like to know jes' wot dey eat at de 'cad'my."

It was a great comfort to know that the boys were so well satisfied; but
there was her usual good sense in Mrs. Kinzer's suggestion about its
being the very first week.

There are never any more such letters as "first letters," nor any other
weeks like the first. The fact that there were so many boys together,
all old acquaintances, shut out any such thing as loneliness, and it was
not time to be homesick. All that week was really spent in "getting
settled," and there did not seem to be more than a day or so of it.
Saturday came around again somewhere in the place commonly taken by
Wednesday, and surprised them all.

They had all been busy enough, but Dick Lee had never in all his life
found so little spare time on his hands.

"It's no use, Cap'n Dab," he remarked on Friday: "we can't eat up all de
corn I've shelled, not if we has johnnycake from now till nex' summer."

Dab was looking a little thoughtful at that moment.

"Ford," he said slowly, "has she missed a day yet?"

"A corn day? No."

"Or a meal?"

"No, I said I'd cut a notch on my slate first time she did, and it's all
smooth yet."

He held it up as he spoke; and Frank remarked,--

"Yes, smooth enough on that side; but you've nicked it all down on the
other, end to end. What's that for?"

"That? Oh! that's quite another thing. I'm keeping tally of Joe and Fuz.
Every time one of 'em asks a question about our boarding-house, or Mrs.
Myers, or Almira, or' little Dr. Brandegee, I nick it down. Got to quit
pretty soon, or buy another slate."

"They've kind o' kept away from us," said Dab. "They're in only one of
my classes, but they're in three of yours."

"Ain't in any ob mine," said Dick; "but Dr. Brandegee says he'll promote
me soon."

Dick's tongue always began to work better, the moment he mentioned the
academy-principal.

"I don't mind their keeping away from us," said Frank.

"Nor I," said Ford.

At that moment they reached their own gate, and Dick darted forward in
response to an imaginary call from Mrs. Myer