nor!

Oh, he was happy!

"It's good I didn't listen to Slats Corbett and Sweet Caporal," he
mused. "I hit the right trail, all right. I bet if----"

The door opened suddenly, and Mr. Brown from the bank entered with
another gentleman, who appeared greatly disturbed.

"Has Rossie Bent been up here to-day?" Mr. Brown asked.

"No, sir," said Tom. He felt his own voice tremble a little, and he
realized that something was wrong.

"This is Mr. Bent," said Mr. Brown, "Roscoe's father. Roscoe hasn't been
seen since last night, and his father is rather concerned about him."

"You haven't seen him--to-day?" Mr. Bent asked anxiously.

"No, sir," said Tom.

The two men looked soberly at each other, and Tom went over to the door
of the private office, which stood ajar, and quietly closed it.

"Mr. Burton is busy," he said.

"We might ask him," Mr. Brown suggested.

For the space of a few seconds Tom stood uneasily trying to muster the
courage to speak.

"It--it wouldn't be any good to let a lot of people know," he said
hesitatingly, but looking straight at Roscoe's father. "Mr. Burton only
got here a few minutes ago, and he couldn't tell anything.--If you spoke
to him, Miss Ellison would know about it too."

He spoke with great difficulty and not without a tremor in his voice,
but his meaning reached the troubled father, who nodded as if he
understood.

"It's early yet," Tom ventured; "maybe he'll think it over, kind of,
and--and----"

"Thank you, my boy," said Mr. Bent soberly.

The two men stood a moment, as if not knowing what to do next. Then they
left, and Tom remained standing just where he was. Of course, he was not
surprised, only shocked.

"I knew it all the time," he said to himself, "only I wouldn't admit
it."

He had been too generous to face the ugly fact. To him, who wished to go
to war, the very thought of slacking and cowardice seemed
preposterous--impossible.

"I was just kidding myself," he said, with his usual blunt honesty, but
with a wistful note of disappointment. "There's no use trying to kid
yourself--there ain't."

Mr. Burton came out with his usual smiling briskness and greeted Tom
pleasantly. "Congratulations, Tommy," said he. "I suppose I'll see you
among the big guns to-night. You leaving soon?"

"Y-yes, sir, in a few minutes."

"Miss Ellison and I are so unpatriotic that we're going to work till the
parade begins this afternoon."

"I don't suppose he'll even _notice_ us