Never had Prescott been more earnest, more serious, nor more attentive than during the remainder of that drive.  Yet he studiously refrained from giving the girl any hint of the thoughts that were surging within him.

Was he foolish?

Dick felt, anyway, that he was not, for he was waging a mighty fight to stand by his best sense of honor.

CHAPTER VI

THE SURPRISE THE LAWYER HAD IN STORE

The days went by swiftly, merrily.

Dick continued to see all that was possible of Laura Bentley, without seeming to try to monopolize her time.

As for careless, good-humored, nearly heart-free Greg, that young man divided his time almost impartially among several very pretty girls.  Cadet Holmes had no thought of arousing baseless hopes in any young woman’s mind.  He simply had not yet reached the age when he was likely to be tied closely by any girl’s bright-hued ribbons.

Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton were much with the young West Pointers.  Had Dave Darrin and Dan Dalzell been able to be home from Annapolis at this time, the cup of joy would have been full for all the old chums of Dick & Co.  But that was not to be.

Even Reade and Hazelton were home only on limited leave, for they were still very young engineers, who could not sacrifice much time away from their work lest they lose the ground already gained.

So just after the Fourth of July, Tom and Harry left, on a morning train, the two young West Pointers going to the station to see them off with many a handshake, many a yearning wish for the two dear old chums of former days.

“The blamed old town will seem a bit empty, won’t it?” demanded Greg, as the cadet pair strolled back from the railway station.

“What’ll it be in after years,” sighed Dick, “with you up at some fort on the Great Lakes, say, with me in Boston, Tom and Harry somewhere out West, with Dave on the European station and Dan, perhaps, on the China station?  Oh, well, chums who want to stick together through life should go in for jobs in the same factory!”

“I suppose we’ll get more used to being apart, as the years roll on,” muttered Greg.  “But I know it would be mighty jolly, this summer, if all the fellows of Dick & Co. could be here in Gridley.”

“There’s Bert Dodge,” whispered Prescott.

“It was hardly worth the trouble to tell me anything about him,” retorted Holmes, not taking the trouble to look at their ancient enemy.

“But what a scowl the fellow is wearing,” smiled Dick, half in amusement.

“Scowling is his highest pleasure in life,” returned Greg.

“He looked at me,” continued Dick, as though he had discovered some new reason for hating me.”

“If he knew how little thought you gave to him he wouldn’t really take the trouble to hate you.  Dodge has far more reason to dislike himself.  Where are you heading now?”