at beside him. Their course was out of Crumville,
and then over the distant hills to a winding road which ran beside the
river.

"It seems so strange, Dave, to think you are not going back to Oak Hall
this fall," remarked Jessie, when the automobile was bowling along over
the smooth highway.

"It does seem strange," was Dave's somewhat grave reply. "Do you know,
sometimes I wish I were going back again."

"Why?"

"Well, if I had to do that I wouldn't have to bother about anything else
just now, Jessie. As it is, I've got to make up my mind what I am going
to do. One minute I think I want to go to college, and the next I have a
notion of going into some sort of business."

"What does your father say, Dave?"

"He is leaving it entirely to me. He says if I want to go to college I
can do so."

"What would you like to do best of all?"

"Oh, as for that, I'd like to travel, just as Uncle Dunston does. I'd
like to see the world."

"I suppose that would be nice, Dave. But still a person can't be
traveling all the time," and Jessie's face clouded a trifle.

"I shouldn't want to be traveling all the time, Jessie. Some day I'll
want to settle down." He gave her an earnest look. "I thought that was
all settled."

"Settled? What?" And the girl gave him a quick look in return.

"Why, that I was going to settle down some day, and that you were going
to settle down with me."

"Oh, indeed! That's the first I ever heard of it."

"Oh, but you know, Jessie----"

"Dave, do you know that Laura and Ben are sitting right behind us?"

"Yes, but they are busy with their own talk."

"Maybe you only think so."

"All right. But it's settled; isn't it, Jessie?"

"I don't know that anything is settled." Jessie was gazing straight
ahead at the road. "How about that beautiful young lady you rescued from
drowning?"

"Oh, say! Please don't bring that up," pleaded Dave, hastily. "That was
all some of Ben's nonsense."

"But you did pull her out of the water; didn't you, Dave?"

"What if I did? You wouldn't have me let her drown; would you?"

"Oh, of course not. But still Ben said----"

"Oh, there you go again! Didn't I tell you that was only some of Ben's
nonsense? You mustn't believe a word he says."

"Indeed! I always thought Ben was a very truthful boy."

"Oh, well, if you're going to make a mountain out of a molehill----"

"I haven't made a mountain out of anything, Dave."

"Say, who's talking about mountains on the