r,
Dick Prescott, you're in honor bound to tell us at last."

"You won't find me dodging or up to any tricks," Dick agreed solemnly.
"Until five o'clock, then."

Dick started along. At first quite a crowd went with him, but
by degrees the number decreased until only his own five immediate
chums were with him.

"Say," suggested Reade suddenly, "since you're going to make a
public, show of this, Dick, you ought to let our little crowd
in on a private view."

"What do you mean?" Prescott quizzed.

"You know well enough what I mean," Tom retorted. "You ought
to tell our own little crowd in advance what the man on the clubhouse
steps said."

"Do you really think so?" Prescott asked.

"I do," affirmed Tom.

"And so do the rest of us," asserted Dave Darrin.

"Well-----" Dick paused hesitatingly.

"Come, hurry up!" begged Greg.

"It's no more than fair to us," insisted Dan.

"On the whole," Dick continued, "I don't believe it would be fair
to the other fellows."

"You big tease!" blurted Harry Hazelton indignantly.

"No; I don't mean to tease you," Dick rejoined, his eyes twinkling.
"But I believe in playing fair in life. Don't you, fellows?"

"What has this to do with being fair?" demanded Tom.

"Why, just this: I promised to tell you all at five o'clock.
Now, if I were to tell a special few before that time, it would
be a bit unfair!"

"Not a bit," retorted Dave. "You've had us dangling from the
string longer than you have the rest of the crowd. Therefore,
we ought to know the answer before the other fellows."

"It's a question of conscience with me," Dick replied soberly.

"Humph!" snorted Tom. "Well, I suppose we may as well give it
up, fellows. The only way we could worm it out of Dick would
be to rub his nose in the dirt. And he might fight if we did.
This is where I have to leave you. So long! I'll meet the army
at five o'clock."

Smiling broadly, Dick went on his way home. He put away his diploma,
next removing his best suit and laying it carefully away. Then
he donned his more accustomed clothes and ran down to the store.

"It was a very enjoyable exhibition, Dick," said his father.

"And I suppose our son feels that he's a man now?" smiled Mrs.
Prescott.

"No; I'm not, mother, and I don't want to be in any hurry, either.
There's too much fun in being a boy. And now I've an appointment
to meet a lot of the fellows."

"Don't let that appointment make you forget supper time," his
mother