“Just you wait, young man,” he muttered to himself.  “Bet you’ll have to, anyway.  That glorious young thing isn’t going to settle down to the shallows of matrimony without trying the deep waters first, unless I’m mightily mistaken.  In the meantime we shall see what we shall see to-night.”  And the man of power trudged away in the direction of a taxicab, leaving youth alone with itself.

“Everybody is here,” bubbled Tony.  “At least, nearly everybody.  Larry went to a horrid old medical convention at Chicago, and can’t be here for the play; but he’s coming to commencement.  Of course, Granny isn’t able to travel and Aunt Margery couldn’t come because the kiddies have been measling, but Ted is here, and Uncle Phil—­bless him!  He brought the twins over from Dunbury in the car.  Phil Lambert and everybody are waiting down the street.  Carlotta too!  To think you haven’t ever met her, when she’s been my roommate and best friend for two years!  And, oh!  Dicky!  I haven’t seen you myself for most a year and I’m so glad.”  She beamed up at him as she made this rather ambiguous statement.  “And you haven’t said a word but just ‘hello!’ Aren’t you glad to see me, Dicky?” she reproached.

He grunted at that.

“About a thousand times gladder than if I were in Heaven, unless you happened to be sitting beside me on the golden stairs.  And if you think I don’t know how long it is since I’ve seen you, you are mightily mistaken.  It is precisely one million years in round numbers.”

“Oh, it is?” Tony smiled, appeased.  “Why didn’t you say so before, and not leave me to squeeze it out of you like tooth-paste?”

Dick grinned back happily.

“Because you brought me up not to interrupt a lady.  You seemed to have the floor, so to speak.”

“So to speak, indeed,” laughed Tony.  “Carlotta says I exist for that sole purpose.  But come on.  Everybody’s crazy to see you and I’ve a million things to do.”  And tucking her arm in his, Tony marshaled the procession of two down the stairs to the street where the car and the old Holiday Hill crowd waited to greet the newest comer to the ranks of the commencement celebrants.

With the exception of Carlotta Cressy, Tony’s roommate, the occupants of the car are known already to those who followed the earlier tale of Holiday Hill.[1]

[Footnote 1:  The earlier experiences of the Holidays and their friends are related in “The House on the Hill.”]

First of all there was the owner of the car, Dr. Philip Holiday himself, a married man now, with a small son and daughter of his own, “Miss Margery’s” children.  A little thicker of build and thinner of hair was the doctor, but possessed of the same genial friendliness of manner and whimsical humor, the same steady hand held out to help wherever and whenever help was needed.  He was head of the House of Holiday now for his father, the saintly old pastor, had gone on to other fields and his soldier brother Ned, Tony’s father, had also gone, in the prime of life, two years before, victim of typhus, leaving his beloved little daughter, and his two sons just verging into manhood, in the care of the younger Holiday.