“To-morrow evening at half after six o’clock,” he said, and we shook hands in parting to bind the agreement.

I had already formed a plan by which I could even matters without the direct passing of money.  It strikes me as odd that this farmhand should object to becoming a professional golfer, but it tends to prove the accuracy of my original opinion that he is some college chap, probably of good family, who is at the end of his resources.

We had no sooner started from Bishop’s than Miss Lawrence turned her batteries on me.

“You think you are very sly, do you not, Mr. Smith?” she began.

“In what way, Miss Lawrence?”

“You think to steal my golf instructor from me,” she declared.  “That is just like a man; they are the meanest, most selfish things ever created.”

“Listen to me—­”

“I did listen to you,” declared that young lady with a triumphant laugh.  “I did listen to you, and I have sharp ears.  You are to have your first exclusive lesson to-morrow evening.  I make the discovery that Mr. Wallace knows more of golf than all of you Woodvale boys together, and then you seek to monopolise his skill.  That’s what he did, girls, and he dare not deny it!  What do you think of him?”

“Monster!” laughed Miss Harding, our fair chauffeuse on this return trip, raising her eyes for an instant to mine.

“Ingrate!” hissed Miss Ross, leaning forward from the tonneau.

“What shall we do with him?” demanded Miss Lawrence.

“Make him take us with him!” they chorused, and I assured them that nothing would give me more pleasure.

And thus it happened that Wallace acquired four pupils instead of one, and for three successive evenings we had a jolly time in the old sheep pasture taking our lessons from this most remarkable “hired man.”  We had to let Mr. Harding into the secret the second evening, but he promised not to “butt in” to our class, so he and Bishop sat on a side hill and smoked and laughed and seemed to enjoy the exhibition hugely.

These little excursions to the old sheep pasture excited increasing curiosity in the club.  I enjoyed them immensely, since it gave me a chance to walk slowly home with Miss Harding.

After the first visit we discarded the auto, since its use threatened too much publicity.  There was no real reason for keeping the affair a secret, except that it is a pleasure to hold an interest in a mystery, and I think most of us will confess to this harmless weakness.  In addition I was steadily improving my short game, which has been my great handicap when pitted against Carter.

And besides, as I have noted, I enjoyed the companionship of Miss Harding—­and, of course, that of the others of our little group.

I am of the opinion that LaHume followed and spied upon us on the occasion of our second trip, and very likely on the succeeding one.  I am sure I saw someone raise his head above a scrubby knoll to the south, and am reasonably certain I recognised LaHume’s gray cap.  He was not about the club that evening until after our return, and the same thing happened on the following evening.  His manner led me to believe he knew more than he cared to tell.  He was sullen almost to the point of insolence.