believe I shall have to hustle or you will be up
to me before I know it."

"That's what I'm here for, to get ahead as fast as I can," laughed the
other, who in his examination that morning had showed that he was by no
means a backward scholar.

The first day of the new term was spent mostly in getting things into
shape for the days that were to come and the regular routine was not as
strictly observed as it would be later, new boys being tried out, new
methods experimented upon and everything being made ready for the fall
and winter.

There were several new boys in addition to Jack Sheldon and one or two
of these were as advanced as he was but the greater part went into the
lower classes and would make the material of which the Academy would be
composed at a later period, Dr. Wise taking them under his particular
care and forming their characters for the future as he put it.

In the course of two or three days the machinery of the school was
running as smoothly as if it had been in operation for a month, the boys
knowing what was expected of them and the professors keeping them
rigidly to their work and attending to their own duties with unflagging
zeal.

Jack took an interest in his work and was stimulated by knowing that
much was expected of him and that there were others who desired to
overtake him in his studies, this very emulation helping him to do his
best.

The greater part of the boys were his friends and he gave little
attention to those who were not, keeping on good terms with them while
not having much to do with them.

As far as he was concerned, however, the boys knew no more of him at the
end of the week than they had known at the beginning and many of them
decided that it was as well to let him remain a mystery until he chose
to further enlighten them.

Without being churlish or obstinate, Jack was reserved and all they
knew, which could have been obtained outside as well as from him was
that he lived in another county, some ten miles distant, that he was the
only child of a worthy widow and that he was paying for his schooling
out of money that he had earned or would earn from his own efforts in
one line or another.

"At any rate if he does have to earn the money to carry him through,"
said Billy Manners to a number of the boys one afternoon when school was
over for the day, "he is not mean and contributes what he can to the
legitimate fun of the Hilltops and does not waste his coin on fooli