Part 25 (1/2)

”If I don't pa.s.s now, Jessie, I'll simply go at my studies again and keep at them until I do pa.s.s,” he answered.

The examination which was held in the city was divided into two parts, one taking place from ten to twelve in the morning, and the other from two to five in the afternoon. There were about thirty students present, and as far as possible each was separated from any friends he might have on hand, so that Dave sat on one side of the hall in which the examination occurred and the senator's son sat on the other.

”Well, how did you make out?” questioned Roger of Dave, when the two went out for their midday lunch.

”I don't know exactly, Roger,” was the reply. ”I think, however, that I answered at least seventy per cent, of the questions correctly. How about yourself?”

”Well, I'm hoping that I got seventy per cent. of them right,”

returned the senator's son. ”But maybe I didn't get above fifty or sixty per cent.”

The afternoon questions seemed to be much harder than those of the morning. The students were given until five o'clock to pa.s.s in their afternoon papers, and never did Dave and Roger work harder than they did during the final hour. One question in particular bothered our hero a great deal. But at almost the last minute the answer to it came like an inspiration, and he dashed it down. This question proved a poser for the senator's son, and he pa.s.sed in his paper without attempting to put down a solution.

Following that examination, Dave returned to Crumville. Roger journeyed to Was.h.i.+ngton, where his folks were staying at a leading hotel, Congress being in session and Senator Morr occupying his place in the Senate.

There was a week of anxious waiting, and then one day Dave received an official-looking envelope which made his heart beat rapidly.

”What is it, Dave?” cried his sister, when she saw him with the letter in his hand. ”Is it your civil engineering report?”

”I think it is, Laura,” he answered.

”Oh, Dave, how I hope you've pa.s.sed!”

”So do I,” put in Jessie.

Dave could not give an answer to this, because, for the moment, his heart seemed to be in his throat. Pa.s.sing to the desk in the library, he slit open the envelope and took out the sheet which it contained. A single glance at it, and he gave a shout of triumph.

”I've pa.s.sed!” he cried. ”Hurrah!”

”Oh, good!” came simultaneously from his sister and Jessie. And then they crowded closer to look at the sheet of paper.

”Does it say what percentage you got?” continued his sister.

”Why, as near as I can make out, I've got a standing of ninety-two per cent.,” he announced, with pardonable pride. ”Isn't that fine?”

”It's the finest ever, Dave!” said his sister, fondly, as she threw her arms around his neck.

”Oh, Dave, it's just glorious!” exclaimed Jessie, her eyes beaming.

And when he caught her and held her tight for a moment she offered no resistance. ”Oh, won't your father and your uncle be proud when they hear of this!”

”I'm going to tell them right now!” he cried, and ran off to spread the good news.

”My boy, I'm proud of you,” said his father. ”Proud of you!” and he clapped Dave affectionately on the shoulder.

”I didn't expect anything different from our Davy,” put in Uncle Dunston. ”I knew he'd pa.s.s. Well, now you've pa.s.sed, I wish you every success in the profession you have chosen.”

”Oh, I'm not a full-fledged civil engineer yet, Uncle Dunston,” broke in Dave, quickly. ”I've got a whole lot to learn yet. Remember this is only my first examination. I've got to study a whole lot more and have a whole lot of practice, too, before I can graduate as a real civil engineer.”

Dave lost no time in sending a telegram to Roger. In return, a few hours later came word from the senator's son that he, too, had pa.s.sed.