o an upper class man, "one with a pull," Walter declared, adding,
"I shall have to keep at the steward business, I suppose. I can't make
much more than my board at it, father, and the midterm tuition is due in
two weeks. I haven't money enough to settle. My laboratory fees have
been doubled since Wallace came in with his expert division work and
expenses generally are heavy."

Paul replied by sending Walter another check and writing as
encouragingly to him as possible. Walter answered briefly and seemed to
be feeling somewhat more reconciled to the disappointment connected with
the scholarship matter.

Two weeks later Paul had a letter from the publisher of one of his
books, asking him to come East on business relating to the book. He
decided hastily to go on and found he could visit Burrton school on the
way. He wrote Walter of his intention, giving him the date of the day he
should probably reach Burrton. Esther, Helen, and Louis sent many
special messages and Paul was glad of an opportunity to see Walter in
his school surroundings.

When he reached Burrton it happened to be the date of the great boat
race with the Brainerd Technology School. For several stations before
the train reached Burrton, crowds came aboard for the college town. When
Paul reached Burrton an immense and yelling mob filled the station and
swarmed out to the racing course at the meadows, below the school
grounds.

Walter was watching for his father, and in the excitement at the time
Paul did not note what he afterward could not help marking. When the two
were finally seated on the great bank of seats at the end of the river
course, just before the crews were given the signal to start, Paul
thought to himself he had never seen Walter so nervous or so ill at
ease. He attributed it all at first to the general excitement, but the
more he looked at Walter and the more he watched his actions, the less
he could account for them, even making allowance for all the unusual
outbursts of hilarious feeling on the part of two great schools met in
rivalry.

"I never thought about the date of the boat race, Walter, when I left
home. I'll be glad to see it. I haven't seen a boat race since the
Harvard-Yale contest in ninety-three."

"It's going to be a great race, father. We're sure to win, don't you
think? Carlisle is a power. We can't lose, can we?"

"You know more about it than I do, of course."

"But they say Brainerd has a great crew. I don't belie