himself of its reality, and that it was not a make-believe like his
birthday.

But for his natural force of character and sweetness of disposition,
Glen would have been a spoiled boy; for Luke Matherson had never been
able, since the moment he first saw him lying helplessly on the floating
car seat, to cross him in anything, or deny him whatever he asked if it
lay in his power to grant it. With his own children Mr. Matherson was
rather strict; but with the orphan lad who had shared with him the
greatest peril of his life, he could not be.

Thus Glen had grown up to be somewhat impatient of restraint, and very
much inclined to have his own way. He was also a brave, generous boy,
and an acknowledged leader among his young companions. Was he not the
best swimmer, the fastest runner, the most daring climber, and expert
horseback-rider in Brimfield? Was he not captain of the baseball nine?
and did not all the fellows admire him except one or two, who were so
jealous of his popularity that they sought to detract from it?

One of those who were most envious of him was Binney Gibbs, son of the
wealthy owner of the Brimfield Mills. He was taller than Glen, but was
no match for him in anything that called for muscle or pluck. It was he
who had flung the taunt of Glen's being a nobody at the boy. Binney had
never been noted for his studious habits until both he and Glen entered
the High School at the same time. Then, realizing that he could not
excel at anything else, he determined to beat the other at his studies.
To this end he strained every nerve with such effect that he not only
outranked Glen in his own class, but, by working all through two long
vacations, gained a whole year on him. So now, while poor Glen was
threatened with being turned back from the second class, Binney Gibbs
had just graduated at the head of the first, and was ready to enter
college. And the worst of it all was that everybody believed him to be a
whole year younger than Glen, too.

To be sure, Binney was pale and thin, and no stronger than a cat. Why,
he couldn't even swim; but what of it? Had he not beaten the most
popular fellow in town away out of sight in this scholarship race? To
crown his triumph another thing had happened to make Binney Gibbs the
envy of all the boys in Brimfield, but particularly of Glen Eddy.

On that last day of school the diplomas had been awarded, and Binney's
had been handed to him the first of all. As he was about t