nts in which neither was interested.

When they came back to the Gilson hedge, he stopped at the gate, with
terrific respectableness removed his cap.

"Good night," she said cheerily. "Call me up soon again."

He did not answer "Good night." He said "Good-by"; and he meant it to be
his last farewell. He caught her hand, hastily dropped it, fled down the
hill.

He was, he told himself, going to leave Seattle that evening.

That, doubtless, is the reason why he ran to a trolley, to get to a
department-store before it closed; and why, precipitating himself upon a
startled clerk, he purchased a new suit of chaste blue serge, a new pair
of tan boots (curiously like some he had seen on the university campus
that morning) and a new hat so gray and conservative and felty that it
might have been worn by Woodrow Wilson.

He spent the evening in reading algebra and geometry, and in telling
himself that he was beautifully not thinking about Claire.

In the midst of it, he caught himself at it, and laughed.

"What you're doing, my friend, is pretending you don't like Claire, so
that you can hide from your fool self the fact that you're going to
sneak back to see her the first chance you get--first time the watch-dog
is out. Seriously now, son, Claire is impossible for you. No can do. Now
that you've been chump enough to leave home---- Oh Lord, I wish I
hadn't promised to take this room for all winter. Wish I hadn't
matriculated at the U. But I'm here now, and I'll stick it out. I'll
stay here one year anyway, and go back home. Oh! And to---- By Golly!
She liked me!"

He was thinking of the wild-rose teacher to whom he had given a lift
back in Dakota. He was remembering her daintiness, her admiration.

"Now there's somebody who'd make me keep climbing, but wouldn't think I
was a poor hick. If I were to drive back next spring, I could find
her----"

CHAPTER XXVI

A CLASS IN ENGINEERING AND OMELETS

The one thing of which Milt Daggett was certain was that now he had
managed to crawl into the engineering school, he must get his degree in
mechanical engineering. He was older than most of his classmates. He
must hurry. He must do four years' work in two.

There has never been a Freshman, not the most goggle-eyed and earnest of
them, who has seen less of classmates, thought less about "outside
activities," more grimly centered the universe about his work.

Milt had sold his garage, by mail, to Ben Sittka and Heini