't live here, do you?" asked Frank, sure he would have heard
somehow of this remarkable youth who talked so glibly of owning a string
of cars.

"I should hope not!" said the boy scornfully. "Not in this dead little
hole! I guess you don't know me. I am Jardin, Horace Jardin. My father
is the automobile man."

"I have heard of him," said Frank.

"I guess you have!" chuckled young Jardin. "You couldn't go anywhere on
the globe without seeing the Jardin cars. Dad puts out more cars than
any other two concerns on earth." He assumed a very bored look. "Gee,
sometimes I wish I could change my name! Makes a fellow so conspicuous,
you know."

"Well, _I_ didn't know who you were until you told me," said Frank,
grinning.

Jardin flushed. Evidently he could not take a joke that was levelled at
himself.

"No, I suppose there are a few rube places like this where the people
have never heard of the Jardin car."

Frank hastened to smooth things over. He had no desire to quarrel with
this young prince who talked so easily. Frank had to admit that a good
deal of it sounded like ordinary boasting, but he assured himself that
it must all be true, and proceeded to make things square again.

"You are wrong there," he said. "It would be a good deal smaller place
than Lawton before the people had to be told about the Jardin car. Of
course I didn't know that you were Jardin, but I couldn't be blamed for
that."

"Sure not!" granted the boy. He took a gold cigarette case from his
pocket and lighted one, then as an after-thought offered it to Frank who
refused, but with a feeling of disgust that he was unable to take one
and smoke it coolly as young Jardin was doing.

"The little fool!" a man in the group was saying, but Jardin either did
not hear or care.

"Where is the other boy who owns the car?" he asked.

"Down the street," said Frank. "I forgot all about him. We are in town
for the day. His father is an instructor at the School of Fire at Sill,
and mine is stationed at the Aviation School."

"That's what I am crazy over," said Jardin. "If I consent to go to
school and stay all through the winter, I am to have a little plane
this fall. I have been taking lessons down at Garden City, and my plane
is to be a real long distance one. Dad will give me anything if I will
go to school. Gee, I hate it!"

Frank swallowed hard. Two automobiles and an airplane! He commenced to
feel sorry for Bill. "Bill and I are going east to school