Part 1 (2/2)

”All right, sir.” Steve obediently turned the pages back. ”Just the same,” he said to himself, ”he didn't know what 'mens sana in corpore sano' meant any better than I did! Bet you _he_ didn't kill himself studying when _he_ went to school!” With a sigh he found the ”Courses of Study” and read: ”Form IV. Cla.s.sical. Latin: Vergil's Aeneid, IV--XII, Cicero and Ovid at sight, Composition (5). Greek: Xenophon's h.e.l.lenica, Selections, Iliad and Odyssey, Selections, Sight Reading, Reviews, Composition (5). German (optional) (4). French: Advanced Grammar and Composition, Le Siege de Paris, Le Barbier de Saville----”

At that moment a shrill whistle sounded outside the library window and Steve's eyes fled from the pamphlet to the grinning face of Tom Hall set between two of the fence pickets. The Catalogue of Brimfield Academy was tossed to the further end of the seat, and Steve, nodding vigorously through the window, jumped to his feet.

”I'm going for a walk with Tom, sir,” he announced half-way to the hall door. Mr. Edwards, smothering a sigh of relief, glanced at the weather.

”Very well,” he said. ”Don't get your feet wet. And--er--be back before it's dark.”

Steve disappeared into the dim hallway and Mr. Edwards gave honest expression to his sense of relief by elevating his feet to the seat of a neighbouring chair, dropping the newspaper and, with a luxurious sigh, composing himself for his Sunday afternoon nap. But peace was not yet his, for a minute or two later Steve came hurrying in again. Mr. Edwards opened his eyes with a frown.

”Sorry, sir,” said Steve, ”but Tom wants to see the catalogue.”

His father nodded drowsily and Steve, securing the pamphlet, stole out again with creaking Sunday shoes. Very quietly the front door went shut and peace at last pervaded the house. In the library, Mr. Edwards, dropping into slumber, was dimly conscious of a last disturbing thought.

It was that he was going to miss that boy of his a whole lot after next week!

”It's all right,” declared Tom Hall as he took the catalogue from Steve with eager fingers. ”At least, I'm pretty sure it is. He said at dinner that he'd think it over, and when he says that it means--that it's all right. What do you say, eh?”

”_Bully!_” That was what Steve said. And he said it not only once but several times and with varying degrees of enthusiasm and volume. And, as though fearing his chum would doubt his satisfaction, he accompanied each ”_Bully!_” with an emphatic thump on Tom's back. Tom, choking and coughing, squirmed out of the way.

”Here! Ho-ho-hold on, you silly chump! You don't have to kill a fellow!”

”Won't it be dandy!” exclaimed Steve, beaming. ”We can room together!

And--and----”

”You bet! And we can have a bully time on the train, too. Gee, I never travelled as far as that alone!”

”I have! It's lots of fun! You eat your meals in a dining-car and there's a smoking-room where you can sit and chin as late as you want to and you get off at the stations and walk up and down the platform and you tip the negro porters and----”

”Wouldn't it be great if we both made the football team, Steve? Of course, you'll make it anyway, and I might if I had a little luck.

Townsend said last year I didn't do so badly, you know, and if----”

”Of course you'll make it! We both will; next year anyway. I'll bet they've got lots of fellows on the team no better than you are, Tom.

Wait till I show you the athletic field. It's a corker!” And Steve's fingers turned the pages of the school catalogue eagerly. ”How's that?”

he demanded at last in triumph.

They paused under a dripping tree while Tom viewed the picture, Steve looking over his shoulder.

”It's fine!” sighed Tom at last. ”Gee, I hope--I hope he lets me!”

”Let's go over there now so you can show him this,” suggested Steve.

But Tom shook his head wisely.

”Not now,” he said. ”He don't like to be disturbed Sunday afternoons.

He--he sort of has a nap, you see.”

”Just like dad,” replied Steve. ”Bet you when I get as old as that I won't stick around the house and go to sleep. Say, Tom, what does 'Mens sana in corpore sano' mean?”

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