Nowadays, however, Bert and Bayliss managed to be much out and around Gridley while the football squad was at practice.  Almost daily this pair met Laura and Belle, as though by accident, and the two young seniors usually managed, without apparent intrusion, to walk along beside Laura and Belle, often seeing the pair to the home gate of one or the other.

“You two fellows want to look out,” Purcell warned Dick and Dave, good-naturedly, one day.  “Other fellows are after your sweet-hearts.”

“I wonder how that happened,” Dick observed good-humoredly.  “I didn’t know we had any sweethearts.”

“What about-----” began Purcell, wondering if he had made a mistake.

“Please don’t drag any girls’ names into bantering talk,” interposed Dave, quickly though very quietly.

So Purcell said no more, and he had, indeed, meant no harm whatever.  But others were noticing, and also talking.  High School young people began to take a very lively interest in the new appearance of Dodge and Bayliss as escorts of Laura and Belle.

Then there came one especially golden day of early autumn, when it seemed as though the warm, glorious day had driven everyone out onto the streets.  Dodge and Bayliss met Laura and Belle, quite as though by accident, and manifested a rather evident determination to remain in the company of the girls as long as possible.

Finally Laura halted before one of the department stores.

“Belle, there’s an errand you and I had in mind to do in there, isn’t there?” Laura asked.

“May we have the very great pleasure, then, of your leave to wait until you are through with your shopping?” spoke up Bert Dodge quickly.

Laura flushed slightly.  Just then more than a dozen of the football squad, coming back from the field, marching solidly by twos, turned the corner and came upon this quartette.  There were many curious looks in the corners of the eyes of members of the squad.

Despite themselves Dick and Dave could feel themselves reddening.

But Laura Bentley was equal to the emergency.  “Here come the school’s heroes—–­the fellows who keep Gridley’s High School banner flying in the breeze,” she laughed pleasantly.

Both Dodge and Bayliss started to answer, then closed their lips.

“Won’t you please excuse us, boys?” begged Laura, in her usual pleasant voice.  “Here are Dick and Dave, and Belle and I wish to speak with them.”

From some of the members of the football squad went up a promptly stifled gasp that sounded like a very distant rumble.

Dick and Dave, looking wholly rough and ready in their sweaters, padded trousers and heavy field shoes, stepped out of the marching formation as though obeying an order.

The chums looked almost uncouth, compared with the immaculate, dandyish pair, Dodge and Bayliss.  The latter, with so many amused glances turned their way, could only flush deeply, stammer, raise their hats and—–­fade away!