old banquet to-night."

"I don't? Why don't I?"

"Because I met Lawrence downstairs a few minutes ago. He was looking for
you."

"Wh-what for?" asked Tom faintly.

"Robey says you're not to break training, Tom! You're to report at the
'varsity table to-night for supper!" Whereupon Steve, his eyes dancing,
jumped from the bed and pulled Tom to his feet. "What do you say to
that, old Tommikins?" he exulted.

Tom, dazed, smiled weakly. "Do you mean--do you mean they want me to
_play_?" he murmured.

"Oh, no," scoffed Steve, pushing him toward the bed on which he subsided
in a heap. "They want you to carry the footballs and sweep the gridiron!
Of course they want you to play, you old sobersides! Don't you see that
with Sawyer on pro there's a big hole in the line? I suppose they'll
give Churchill the first chance at it, but he won't last the game
through. Think of both you and I making the 'varsity, Tom! How's that
for luck, eh? Not bad for the old Tannersville High School, is it? I
guess we've gone and put Tannersville on the map, Tom!"

"Gee, I'm scared!" muttered Tom, looking up at Steve with wide eyes.
"I--I don't believe I'll do it!"

"You don't, eh? Well, you're going to do it! Get your old duds on and
hurry up. It's after six."

"I'll have to tell Brownell I'm not going to the feast." Tom gazed
fascinatedly at his best trousers draped across the chair back. "Anyway,
I wasn't keen on going--without you," he murmured.

"There's only one drawback," said Steve a few minutes later, when they
were on their way to supper. "And that is that I promised Durkin to buy
a rug from him."

"A rug? We don't need any rug, do we?" asked Tom.

"Not a bit. But this is a genuine Begorra; Durkin says so himself. And I
agreed to buy it if he'd tell 'Horace' about Sawyer. Unless--unless
you'd rather have the shoe-blacking stand, Tom?"

"I would. If we had that, perhaps you'd keep your shoes decent!"

Steve tipped Tom's cap over his eyes. "Rude ruffian!" he growled
affectionately.

There was no practice at Brimfield Friday, for as soon as the last
recitation of the day was over the 'varsity team and substitutes piled
into two of Hoskins' barges in front of Main Hall to be driven over to
Oakdale, some five miles distant. The school assembled to see them off,
and there was much hilarity and noise. Joe Lawrence, note-book in hand,
flustered and anxious, mounted the steps and called the names of the
squad members.

"Benson