with Laura and Belle.

Neither Dick nor Dave was in love. Both were too sensible for
that. Both knew that love affairs were for men old enough to
know their own minds. Yet the friendship between the four young
people had been a very proper and wholesome affair, and much pleasure
had been derived on all sides.

Nowadays, however, Bert and Bayliss managed to be much out and
around Gridley while the football squad was at practice. Almost
daily this pair met Laura and Belle, as though by accident, and
the two young seniors usually managed, without apparent intrusion,
to walk along beside Laura and Belle, often seeing the pair to
the home gate of one or the other.

"You two fellows want to look out," Purcell warned Dick and Dave,
good-naturedly, one day. "Other fellows are after your sweet-hearts."

"I wonder how that happened," Dick observed good-humoredly. "I
didn't know we had any sweethearts."

"What about-----" began Purcell, wondering if he had made a mistake.

"Please don't drag any girls' names into bantering talk," interposed
Dave, quickly though very quietly.

So Purcell said no more, and he had, indeed, meant no harm whatever.
But others were noticing, and also talking. High School young
people began to take a very lively interest in the new appearance
of Dodge and Bayliss as escorts of Laura and Belle.

Then there came one especially golden day of early autumn, when
it seemed as though the warm, glorious day had driven everyone
out onto the streets. Dodge and Bayliss met Laura and Belle,
quite as though by accident, and manifested a rather evident
determination to remain in the company of the girls as long as
possible.

Finally Laura halted before one of the department stores.

"Belle, there's an errand you and I had in mind to do in there,
isn't there?" Laura asked.

"May we have the very great pleasure, then, of your leave to wait
until you are through with your shopping?" spoke up Bert Dodge quickly.

Laura flushed slightly. Just then more than a dozen of the football
squad, coming back from the field, marching solidly by twos, turned
the corner and came upon this quartette. There were many curious
looks in the corners of the eyes of members of the squad.

Despite themselves Dick and Dave could feel themselves reddening.

But Laura Bentley was equal to the emergency. "Here come the
school's heroes---the fellows who keep Gridley's High School banner
flying in the breeze," she laugh