ng, but the fact didn't improve his
temper, which was already bad. To walk three-quarters of a mile in the
expectation of getting a valuable registered parcel and then discover on
opening it that it contained only two folded copies of a daily newspaper
was enough to sour anyone's disposition! And that is what had happened
to Dreer. Someone, of course, had played a silly joke on him, but he
couldn't imagine who, nor did he for a moment connect Byrd's appearance
on the scene with the registered parcel. When he reached the two ahead
he saw that one was Byrd, as he had thought, and the other Thayer. They
were so deeply in conversation that he was almost past before they
looked up. When they did Dreer nodded.

"Hi, fellows," he murmured, without, however, decreasing his pace.

"Hi, Dreer!" responded Amy, and Thayer echoed him. "Say, you're just the
fellow to settle this," Amy continued.

"Settle what?" asked Dreer, pausing unwillingly.

"Why, Clint says--By the way, you know Thayer, don't you?"

Dreer nodded and Amy went on.

"Well, Clint says that Claflin played two fellows on her team last year
who weren't eligible. What were their names, Clint?"

"Ainsmith and Kenney," replied Clint unhesitatingly.

"Ainsmith!" exclaimed Dreer. "Kenney! Say, you don't know what you're
talking about, Thayer!"

"That's what I told him," said Amy eagerly. "They were all right,
weren't they? Clint says that last year was their first at Claflin and
that they didn't have any right to play on the team."

"Rot! Ainsmith's been at Claflin two years and Kenney three. Where'd you
get that dope, Thayer?"

"I heard it and I think I'm right," said Clint stubbornly.

"You can't be," persisted Amy. "Dreer went to Claflin last year, and he
knows, don't you, Dreer?"

"Of course I know! Besides, Claflin doesn't do that sort of thing,
Thayer. It doesn't have to! You'd better turn over; you're on
your back!"

"That's what I heard," persisted Clint.

"You're wrong!" Dreer laughed contemptuously. "Whoever told you that
stuff was stringing you. Well, I must get a move on. I've got a
ten o'clock."

"But wait a minute," begged Amy. "You've got time enough. Let's get this
settled." Dreer suddenly discovered that Amy was between him and the
Academy and that he had a detaining hand on his arm.

"Can't, I tell you! I'll be late! Besides, there's nothing to settle. I
know what I'm talking about. And if Thayer doesn't believe it all he's
got to do