“But see here, fellows,” urged Dick Prescott, “just try to keep one idea in mind, please.  There’s a good deal of objection, every year, that athletics are allowed to interfere with studies.  Now, as soon as the end of recess is called to-day, let’s every one of us go back with our minds closed to baseball.  Let us all keep our minds right on our studies.  Why can’t we six help to prove that interest in athletics puts the scholarship mark up, not down?”

“We can,” nodded Dave Darrin.  “Good!  I like that idea.  We’ll simply go ahead and put our scholarship away up over where it is at present.”

To this the other chums agreed heartily.

Luce, the coach for baseball, was one of the under submasters.  He had made a record at college, for both baseball and scholarship.  He was a complete enthusiast on the game of the diamond.  The year before he had trained the school nine to a record that beat anything in the High School line in the whole state.  His bulletin announced that he intended to try to make the coming nine the best yet.  It didn’t say that, in so many words, but the bulletin implied it.

Fred Ripley did not hit upon the idea of improved scholarship.  Instead, that young man went into two classes, after recess, and reported “not prepared.”  Then he settled back into a brown study of his chances in baseball.

“I don’t suppose Dick & Co. will have the nerve to try for anything better than the second nine,” muttered Fred to himself.  “Still, one can never tell what that crowd will have the nerve to do!”

School out, Fred hurried home faster than was his wont.  He caught his father just as the latter was leaving the lunch table.

“Dad, can I have a few minutes’ talk with you about one of my ambitions?” pleaded Fred.

“Certainly, my boy,” replied the wealthy, retired lawyer.  “I’m glad, indeed, to hear that you have any ambitions.  Come into the library, if you can let your luncheon go that long.”

“If you don’t mind, Dad, I’d rather eat while I talk,” urged Fred.  “I have to be back at school before three.”

“What—–­under discipline?” inquired the lawyer.

“No, sir; it’s baseball that I wish to talk about.”

“Well, then, Fred, what is it?” asked his father.

“Why, sir, we’re going to get together on baseball, this afternoon.  The start for the season is to be made early this year.  Gridley expects to put forth the finest High School nine ever.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” nodded the lawyer.  “School and college athletics, rightly indulged in, give the budding man health, strength, courage and discipline to take with him out into the battle of life.  We didn’t have much in the way of athletics when I was at college, but I appreciate the modern tendency more than do some men of my age.”

Fred, though not interested in his father’s praise of athletics waited patiently until his parent had finished.