nt at Wilburville Academy.

For some reason the boys at Wilburville hadn't taken to him.
Phin had come to the conclusion that he wasn't appreciated anywhere
save at home, so back he came, disgusted with the idea of carrying
his education any further.

As a natural sequence, Drayne took to lounging about the streets.
High School boys and girls no longer paid any heed to him, so
he did not fear slight or insult.

Two nights in every week Dick and Dave went faithfully to the
High School gym. to help Mr. Morton with the new evening classes
in training.

One afternoon Prescott and Darrin encountered good old Dr. Thornton,
the principal, who asked them how they were coming along.

"We're pretty busy," Dick admitted. "Still, it does seem rather
hard to us not to be connected with the High School any more."

"Why, you are with us yet, and of us!" cried the principal. "I
carry your names on the rolls, with 'excused' written against
your names. If you don't believe that you're still of my High
School boys, then drop in any day and take your places, for an
hour, or as long as you please, at your old desks. You will find
them still reserved for you."

"Now, isn't that mighty decent of old Prin.!" demanded Dave, after
the two chums had thanked Dr. Thornton, and had gone on their
way. "So we still belong to old Gridley High School?"

"We always shall, I reckon," declared Dick. "Gridley High School
has done everything for us, and has given us our start and most
of our pleasures in life."

"I'm going to drop in, one of these January days," murmured Dave.

"And so am I. But," added Dick, with a smile, "don't let us be
indiscreet and be roped into going into a recitation. We'll find
the class has been moving ahead while we've been boning over West
Point and Annapolis requirements."

"At all events, none of them ought to be ahead of us when we've
gone four years further," contended Dave. "At West Point or Annapolis
we have to grind in a way that is never required of mere college
men. We ought to be miles ahead of any fellow who has just finished
at High School and then has put in four years only at college."

Thus the happy young egotists always talked, nowadays. To them
there was really little in life that did not come through the
government military academies.

Phin Drayne, lounging about purposely, with the shambling gait,
often saw these happy chums, and scowled after them.

"Everything seems to come to