d work for such things," growled
Pierson. "You will not find other fellows holding back. If any chap is
capable of filling your place at anything, you may be sure he will fill
it, and he'll never stop to consider your feelings about the matter."

"That is rust jite--I mean just right!" cried Rattleton, approvingly.

"Well, I am going to my rooms and take a rub down," said Paul.
"Good-night, fellows."

"Good-night, Mr. Pierson."

When the door had closed behind Paul, Rattleton executed a grotesque
dance on the carpet.

"Whoop!" he softly cried. "Didn't I knock him silly when I pretended not
to know anything about the run this evening! Oh, wheejiz--er, jeewhiz!
he nearly fainted when I told him you calmly walked into the room, took
a sponge bath, put on another suit, and then we had been telling
stories."

"You rascal!" cried Frank, laughing and giving Harry a shake. "That was
all your own work. I didn't know you were thinking of running such a
bluff on him."

"Never thought of it myself till he came in," chuckled Harry. "Between
us we managed to get you out of your other clothes, give you a quick
rub, and jump you into a fresh suit before Pierson showed up."

"It has been a very enjoyable evening," smiled Frank, as he again
deposited himself on the easy-chair. "If I had planned to have sport
with Pierson, I could not have worked it better. You should have heard
me panting and puffing along behind him on our way out! You should have
heard him bidding me good-by when we started to come back! And then you
should have heard me asking him if he was ill when I got ready to leave
him!"

Harry laughed in the heartiest manner, as his imagination supplied the
picture.

"It is too good!" he cried. "And you will go into the mile run sure!
Browning caused Pierson to tackle you."

"It seems that I have done pretty well in athletic matters this spring,"
said Frank, "and I was rather indifferent concerning the matter of
taking any prominent part in the tournament at Madison Square. However,
if I can do anything to uphold the standard of Old Eli, I want to do my
best."

"Frank, if you run in that race, you will win," came soberly from
Harry's lips. "I shall stake every dollar I can rake on you. If you do
win, I'll have enough cash to take me through the summer vacation we
have planned."

The door had been softly opened, and the most of Rattleton's speech was
overheard by a third person, who now exclaimed:

"And I'm go