Jeff had worked hard for his degree, being not by nature a student, like
his elder brother Lansing, but fonder of active, outdoor life than of
books. He had been incited to deeds of valour in the classroom only by
the grim determination not to disgrace the family traditions or the
scholarly ancestors to whom he had often been pointed back.

"Thank heaven it's over!" exulted Jeff, with his classmates, when, after
the last triumphant speech of the evening, the audience was dismissed to
the strains of a rejoicing orchestra.

"Say, fellows, I'm going to bolt. Hullo, Just! Ask Evelyn for me if she
won't go home flying with me in the Houghton auto--Carolyn's just sent
me word."

"That will be just the thing," whispered Celia to Evelyn, when the
message came. "Go with him, but don't let him stop at the Houghtons'.
Whisper it to Carolyn, and see that he's safely on the porch with you
when we get there."

Evelyn nodded and disappeared with Just, who took her to his brother.

"Now we're off," murmured Jeff, as he and Evelyn followed Carolyn and
her brother out through a side entrance. "What a night! What a moon! My,
but it feels good to be out in the open air after that pow-wow in
there!"

They had half an hour to themselves in the quiet of the moonlit porch
before the others, coming by electric car, could reach home.

They filled the time by sitting quietly on the top step, Jeff in the
subdued mood of the young graduate who sees, after all, much to regret
in the coming to an end of the years of getting ready for his life-work.
He was, besides, not a little wearied by the final examinations,
preparation for his part in Commencement, and the closing round of
exercises. Evelyn, herself somewhat fatigued, leaned back against the
porch pillar and gladly kept silence.

Before the others came Jeff spoke abruptly. "It isn't everybody who
knows when to let a fellow be an oyster," he said, gratefully. "But I'm
getting over the oyster mood now, and feel like talking. Do you know,
you're going to leave an awful vacancy behind you when you go?"

"Oh, no," Evelyn answered. "There are so many of you, and you have such
good times together, you can't mind much when a stranger goes away."

"Call yourself that?" Jeff laughed. "Well I assure you we don't. You're
too thoroughly one of us--in the way of liking the things we like and
despising the things we despise. Hullo, here come the people! It was
rather stealing a march on them to