e a fellow could do that in college. There might be another way,
though. I've heard of fellows making a lot of money in college."

"Seems to me," said Clint, "it's your step-mother's duty to look after
you and pay for your schooling. It's your father's money she's using,
isn't it?"

"Yes, but there's not a great deal of it, I suppose. I never knew how
much he did leave. And ma's fond of nice things and it costs a good deal
to live, I guess. Oh, if I can get that scholarship I'll be all right.
You see, though, don't you, why I didn't want to scrap with Dreer? It
might have just queered everything for me."

"Yes, I see," asserted Clint. "You did the right thing. You'd have been
mighty silly to risk it, Durkin. What about playing? You--you play
pretty well, don't you? Couldn't you make any money that way?"

"No." Penny shook his head. "I don't play well enough. You see, I've
kept thinking that some day I'd be able to get instruction, but I never
have yet; except a few lessons a fellow in Parkerstown gave me one
Summer. I just scrape; that's all."

"I've always thought," fibbed Clint stoutly, "that you played finely!"

"I've always thought I could if I'd had instruction," replied Penny
wistfully. "I sort of love it. Maybe some day--" His voice dwindled into
silence, and for several minutes the two boys, each busy with their
separate thoughts, stared through the bare branches up to the blue
afternoon sky. They were aroused from their dreaming by the sound of
voices and rustling of leaves under the feet of the speakers. Clint,
peering around, saw Harmon Dreer, and another boy whom he didn't know by
sight, climbing the slope toward them.

CHAPTER XXII

DREER LOOKS ON

"There's Dreer now," said Clint softly.

"And Beaufort," added Penny.

"Who's he?"

"He lives the other side of the village. His father owned a lot of land
around here and made heaps of money selling it off. They call him 'Babe'
Beaufort; this fellow, I mean, not his father; probably because he's
so big."

"He looks like a walrus," commented Clint. Further confidences were
impossible, for the approaching couple were now within earshot and had
caught sight of the boys by the rock. Dreer spoke to Beaufort softly and
the latter turned a quick, curious look toward the boys under the ledge.
Then, without speaking, they passed on up the hill and out of sight
amongst the trees. Penny gave a sigh of relief.

"He's a scrapper, and I thought maybe Dre