“Remember, if the captain learns of this, I don’t know nothing about it...,” he called out, as the two boys drove off by a back way, out of sight of the main building of the institution.

“Peleg is all right, if you know how to handle him,” said Tom, as he took the reins from Dick.

“I’ll let him out a bit, and we’ll drive to Cedarville in a jiffy.”

“Tom, you’re getting more cheeky every day,” was Dick’s comment, yet he was far from displeased over what his brother had accomplished.

Away went the cutter, the roads being now in an excellent condition.  Soon Putnam Hall was left far behind, and they came within sight of the Stanhope homestead.

“I’d like to stop for just a minute,” said Dick, but Tom shook his head.

“We want to get to Cedarville before the shops close,” said the younger brother.  “We can stop on the way back —­ if we have time,” and they continued on their way.

Both knew Cedarville “like a book,” as Tom expressed it, having been there so many times before.  They drove straight to the largest confectionery in the village.

“A pound of chocolates, a pound of marshmallows, a pound of iced fruits, and five pounds of best mixed candies,” said Dick, and the articles were quickly put up for him.

“How much?”

“A dollar and thirty cents, please.”

The bill was paid, and they hurried to another store, where they purchased two dozen bottles of soda water, a dozen bottles of root beer, and five pounds of mixed nuts.  Tom wanted to buy some cigarettes for such of the cadets as might wish to smoke, but Dick shook his head at this.

“No, that’s going too far,” he said.  “We’ll have a respectable spread, and that’s enough.”

Inside of half an hour they had started on the return, the various articles purchased stowed safely away in the back of the cutter.

“We’ll have at least fifteen minutes to spare,” said Dick, and waited as patiently as possible until the Stanhope homestead again appeared.  As soon as they gained the entrance to the garden, Dick hopped out, ran up the path to the porch, and rang the bell.  Dora Stanhope answered his summons.

“Oh, Dick, is that you?” she cried.  “Come in.”

“I can’t stay but a few minutes, Dora,” he answered as he entered the hall.  “I must get back to the academy.  I thought I would just stop to see how you are getting on.”

“Oh, everything is the same, Dick.”

“I heard the marriage was to take place this week.”

“Yes.”

“Let me tell you something,” went on the boy, and told her of the letter to be sent from, Chicago to Josiah Crabtree.

“Oh, I hope he gets it and goes!” exclaimed Dora quickly, and her face brightened a bit.

“Send me word if he does,” said Dick.

He remained for ten minutes longer, but what was said and done need not be mentioned here.  When he left his heart was all aglow, while Dora was blushing deeply.  “Best girl in the world,” he murmured.  “What an awfully nice young fellow,” was Dora’s thought.