“No, you’re not.  We’re all much obliged to you for getting well.  I don’t know what the track team would have done without you.”

“Guess I won’t bother the track team this year.  That’s what the doctor says.”

“Oh, well,” said Will hastily, “that won’t make any difference.  You’ll be all right for another year and that will do just as well.”

“Say, Will,” said Peter after a brief pause: 

“What is it?” inquired Will kindly.

“There’s something I want to say to you.”

“Say it, then,” laughed Will.

“I’m never going to touch a drop again.”

“That’s all right.  Of course you won’t,” assented Will cordially.

“And, Will—­”

“Yes?”

“I’m not going to have anything charged up to you any more.”

“‘Anything charged up to me’?  I don’t know what you mean.”

“I mean those cakes and pies I had charged to you down at Tommie’s.”  “Tommie” was the name by which the proprietor of one of the little restaurants and bakeshops in Winthrop was familiarly called by the college boys.

“I didn’t know you had anything charged to me.”

“You didn’t?”

“No.  I haven’t had any bill for it, anyway.”

“You’ll get it.  You’ll have one,” said Peter John nodding his head decidedly.  “I don’t know what I ever did it for anyway.  At first I thought it was a good joke on you.  M—­some of the fellows said it would be.  And then somehow I kept it up.”

“Never mind, Peter John.  I’ll fix it.  It’ll be all right.”

“Did you tell my father?” inquired Peter John anxiously.

“No.  I haven’t told him anything.”

“I’m glad.  I lost some money on that trip with the football team, Will.”

“How much?”

“Seven dollars and a half.  It was all I’d got.”

“Do you want—­” Will started to take out his pocketbook, but stopped abruptly, for he was not certain just how Peter John might receive his offer.  He did not see the light that came for a moment into his classmate’s eyes or the look of disappointment that quickly followed it.

“I’m never going to bet any more,” remarked Peter John simply.

“Of course not.”

“But my money is gone and I sha’n’t be able to pay for those things I had charged to you at Tommie’s, as I fully meant to.”

“Never mind that.”

“I’m going to study harder too.”

“Not just yet.  I shouldn’t bother my head about such things now, Peter John.  Wait till you are up and around before you do that.”

“I’m afraid that’ll be a long time.”

“No.  Oh no, it won’t,” said Will cheerily.  “You’ll be all right before you know it.”

Peter John shook his head and was about to reply, when Mott entered the room and at the same time the physician also came.  The latter glanced keenly at his patient, and then said to the visitors, “That’s enough this time, boys.  You’d better cut it short now and come again.”