e in very good condition. It occurred
to Fitz--to give him the short name he received from his
school-fellows--that it might be a Boston friend of Oscar's, just
entering the Academy. This might account for his not having met him
before. Perhaps he was from an aristocratic Boston family. His
intimacy with Oscar rendered it probable, and it might be well to
cultivate his acquaintance. On this hint he spoke.

"Are you about to enter the Academy, Mr. Walton?"

"No; I should like to do so, but cannot."

"You are one of Oscar's friends from the city, I suppose, then?"

"Oh no; I am living in Centreville."

"Who can he be?" thought Fitz. With considerable less cordiality in
his manner, he continued, impelled by curiosity,--

"I don't think I have met you before."

"No: I have only just come to the village."

Oscar understood thoroughly the bewilderment of his visitor, and
enjoyed it. He knew the weakness of Fitz, and he could imagine how
his feelings would change when be ascertained the real position of
Harry.

"My friend," he explained, "is connected with the 'Centreville
Gazette.'"

"In what capacity?" asked Fitz, in surprise.

"He is profanely termed the 'printer's devil.' Isn't that so, Harry?"

"I believe you are right," said our hero, smiling. He had a
suspicion that this relation would shock his new acquaintance.

"Indeed!" ejaculated Fitz, pursing up his lips, and, I was about to
say, turning up his nose, but nature had saved him the little trouble
of doing that.

"What in the world brings him here, then?" he thought; but there was
no need of saying it, for both Oscar and Harry read it in his manner.
"Strange that Oscar Vincent, from one of the first families of
Boston, should demean himself by keeping company with a low printer
boy!"

"Harry and I have had a jolly time popping corn this evening!" said
Oscar, choosing to ignore his school-mate's changed manner.

"Indeed! I can't see what fun there is in it."

"Oh, you've got no taste. Has he, Harry?"

"His taste differs from ours," said our hero, politely.

"I should think so," remarked Fitz, with significant emphasis. "Was
that all you had to amuse yourself?"

In using the singular pronoun, he expressly ignored the presence of
the young printer.

"No, that wasn't all. My friend Harry has been amusing me with some
tricks which he learned while he was travelling round with Professor
Henderson, the ventriloquist and magician."

"