mind of a philosopher and the expressiveness of a
poet.

Cheerful, delighting in the strength of others, Bill's natural love of
friendly contests and admiration for physical prowess impelled him to
adopt as his best chum Gus Grier, who had much in common with him
concerning mechanical matters. Gus was in many things almost the exact
counterpart of the lame boy.

Gus was bright, shrewd, practical, reticent. He had the sort of
mentality that made him a good follower, with enough native wit to
discover his own limitations and to acknowledge Bill's superior
characteristics. Both displayed that loyalty of friendship whose rare
quality has made notable history. Sometimes their classmates called the
boys David and Jonathan, or Damon and Pythias; sometimes, the head and
body, the former referring to Bill and the latter, with no less
admiration, to Gus because of his splendid athletic ability. The muscles
of Gus were quite as remarkable in their way as Bill's brains; and both
boys were modest, aiding one another in every time of need, doubling all
their efforts with the term "we," which Bill used oftenest.

If Bill mastered a mental problem it was: "We did it by this method." If
Gus entered upon a trial of strength or physical skill it was: "We'll do
our best," and then: "Well, we won, but it was no cinch"--in deference
to the efforts of a beaten opponent. All this was a matter of course.
And now, regarding the present, either friend might have said, "We've
passed our exams and we're going to Tech."

"Guilford! Guilford! All out for Marshallton!" shouted the brakeman, and
in half a minute the boys were climbing into a taxi bound for the
school; in half an hour they were facing the great buildings which stood
for so much learning, and in half a day they had matriculated and were
of the student body.

CHAPTER II

FOOLED

"Come here quick and watch this!"

"What's going on? I've got this letter----"

"This is some livelier than letter writing, Bill," Gus declared, and a
moment later Bill was of the same mind.

The boys gazed out of the window of their room in the school dormitory
to witness an upper-class reception of one of the freshmen, a lad of
almost tender years, yet husky and of undoubted good nature. He was
expensively dressed to begin with, a little foppish in appearance even,
and it was known that his people were very wealthy. Such as he, t