Part 35 (2/2)

But who cared for that? Cla.s.s b.a.l.l.s come but once a year.

Right after ”Home, Sweet Home,” which wound up the ball, the orchestra added a number, ”The Star Spangled Banner.”

Both d.i.c.k and Dave reached home pretty thoroughly tired out, after having seen their girl friends home. Neither boy rose much before noon the day following.

d.i.c.k and Dave remained enrolled at High School until the Christmas Holidays, then dropped out, having ended the term.

Each boy had other studies with which he wished to busy himself---studies that would have a direct bearing on the stiff entrance examinations at West Point and Annapolis. The rest of their time, until they reported at their respective National Academies, they intended to devote to these other studies to make doubly sure of their success.

d.i.c.k's notification from the Secretary of War arrived on Christmas morning.

”The grandest Christmas present. I ever had!” muttered d.i.c.k, gazing at the single sheet, the words on which were couched in stiff official language.

Dave Darrin fumed a good deal, for it was nearly a month later before he received his notification from the Secretary of the Navy. It came at last, however, and Darrin knew what postponed happiness means.

CHAPTER XXII

The Message from the Unknown

With the Christmas holidays Phin Drayne came home, to stay so far as school was concerned.

After his unhappy experience at the Fordham Military Inst.i.tute, Phin had found things almost as unpleasant at Wilburville Academy.

For some reason the boys at Wilburville hadn't taken to him.

Phin had come to the conclusion that he wasn't appreciated anywhere save at home, so back he came, disgusted with the idea of carrying his education any further.

As a natural sequence, Drayne took to lounging about the streets.

High School boys and girls no longer paid any heed to him, so he did not fear slight or insult.

Two nights in every week d.i.c.k and Dave went faithfully to the High School gym. to help Mr. Morton with the new evening cla.s.ses in training.

One afternoon Prescott and Darrin encountered good old Dr. Thornton, the princ.i.p.al, who asked them how they were coming along.

”We're pretty busy,” d.i.c.k admitted. ”Still, it does seem rather hard to us not to be connected with the High School any more.”

”Why, you are with us yet, and of us!” cried the princ.i.p.al. ”I carry your names on the rolls, with 'excused' written against your names. If you don't believe that you're still of my High School boys, then drop in any day and take your places, for an hour, or as long as you please, at your old desks. You will find them still reserved for you.”

”Now, isn't that mighty decent of old Prin.!” demanded Dave, after the two chums had thanked Dr. Thornton, and had gone on their way. ”So we still belong to old Gridley High School?”

”We always shall, I reckon,” declared d.i.c.k. ”Gridley High School has done everything for us, and has given us our start and most of our pleasures in life.”

”I'm going to drop in, one of these January days,” murmured Dave.

”And so am I. But,” added d.i.c.k, with a smile, ”don't let us be indiscreet and be roped into going into a recitation. We'll find the cla.s.s has been moving ahead while we've been boning over West Point and Annapolis requirements.”

”At all events, none of them ought to be ahead of us when we've gone four years further,” contended Dave. ”At West Point or Annapolis we have to grind in a way that is never required of mere college men. We ought to be miles ahead of any fellow who has just finished at High School and then has put in four years only at college.”

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