“I was just on my way over to your house,” Billie was conscious that Ferd was addressing her.  “We haven’t had a chance to get in touch with Chet yet.  But the old boy will of course go with us, won’t he?  It wouldn’t be any fun without Chet.”

Almost the very words Violet had said to her, thought Billie, as she tried to swallow a sob and only succeeded in turning it into a funny little cough.

“He will, won’t he?” Ferd was insisting, while Violet watched them with troubled eyes.

“Why—­why—­I don’t know, Ferd,” Billie stammered, trying to make her voice sound natural.  “I do know one thing, and that is that Chet is crazy to go and will if he gets half a chance.”

“Then I guess it’s all right,” said Ferd, leaning back with a sigh of relief.  “Gee, I was afraid you were going to say he couldn’t go, and so spoil everything.  Say, can’t you see the good times we’re going to have with you girls at Three Towers Hall and we fellows such a little way off that we can see each other every once in a while?  I can’t make up my mind that it’s real yet—­” And so on and on, rapturously, while Billie’s heart sank lower and lower and Violet’s own warm one ached for her friend.

Then just as Ferd started to go he spied Chet coming up the street and hailed him joyfully.

“Just the fellow I wanted to see,” he declared fervently.  “Come on up here, old man, and hear the glad news.”

Billie groaned inwardly and seemed about to speak, but Violet stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“Might as well get it over with,” she whispered.  “Chet is sure to hear of it later if he doesn’t now.”

So Billie waited, but her heart ached as she watched Chet march up smilingly to hear “the glad news.”

“We’re going to Boxton Military Academy.”  Ferd fairly shouted it at him.  “How about it, old timer, are you going with us, or are you going to leave us in the lurch?”

The glad tidings staggered Chet for a minute, but he came on quietly and perched himself upon the railing, one foot swinging idly.

“You said you were going to the military academy?” he asked, his voice as quiet as his manner, but Billie noticed that the smile was gone.  “By that I suppose you mean you and Teddy.”

“And you,” added Ferd, beaming upon him.  “Billie said you were crazy to go.”

Chet looked at Billie’s unhappy face and tried to smile.

“Crazy to go!” he repeated.  “I’ll say I am.  But—­”

“But me no buts, Chet, my lad,” broke in the impetuous Ferd.  “I didn’t ask you anything.  I merely stated a fact.”

“I—­I’d give almost anything I own to make it a fact,” said Chet, his eyes on the ground.  “But I’m very much afraid you’ll have to guess again, old man.”

“Guess again?  Well, I should say not!” cried Ferd, getting to his feet indignantly.  “Why, the thing can’t be done without you, Chet.  Didn’t Billie say—­”