“And that trip to New Haven would bridge over the time nicely till school opens,” he told himself.  “I don’t see why mother won’t let me go.”

But he knew perfectly well what the reason was.  He realized that Harrington had habits which none of his associates had ever had.  But what of it?

“I needn’t smoke or drink if I don’t want to,” he argued.  “I haven’t done it yet.  Besides, it will do me good to see a little of the world.”

He rose from the sofa, lighted the gas, and just as he had done that day when he had heard who was Mr. Tyler’s heir, he collected the money from his different pockets and counted it up.  His allowance was a liberal one, and he had been saving up to buy a birthday present for his mother.

“Seven dollars and forty cents,” he repeated to himself.  “I wonder how much the fare will be.”

He put on his hat and went down stairs.

“Where are you going, Rex?” asked his mother, as he passed the group who were sitting on the front porch, for it was a sultry evening.

“Only down the street a little way.  I’ll be right up,” he replied.

“I wonder if Harrington’s people ask him where he’s going every step he takes,” he muttered to himself as he strode off.

He forgot the five years’ difference in their ages; thought only of the surveillance under which he chafed.

He kept on till he reached the hotels, and entering one of them, he hunted around till he found a railway guide.

A short consultation of this apprized him of the fact that he had enough to pay his fare to New Haven and back, but very little more.

“I suppose I shall have no expense while there,” he mused, “being Harrington’s guest.  I think I may risk it, and if I get stuck he’ll help me out, though I’d hate to ask him.”

For Rex had formed a resolution.  He had determined to go on the coveted trip without his mother’s consent.  He could leave a note explaining where he was.

It would not be half as terrible a thing, he argued, as for a fellow to run away from home and not mean to come back.  There would be a great row raised about it, he supposed, but meanwhile he would have had a good time and the worst that they would do to him would be to send him away to boarding school, and he shouldn’t mind that very much.

He thought all this out on his way back from the hotel.  To be sure, he would have to use the money he had been saving up for his mother’s present, but then he was in no mood to give her anything now.

He felt some twinges as his thoughts touched on this point, but at that moment some one took his stand in front of him and exclaimed:  “Surrender or give the countersign.”

It was Harrington.

“Yale,” answered Rex promptly.

“You’ve decided to go, then,” said Harrington. turning around to walk back with him.  “That’s right.  We’ll have oceans of fun.  We’ll meet Stout and Cheever in New York, and we can just paint the town, I tell you.”