feared he might dive
short of the tree. He hoped he would land flat.

The latter by luck or his own precision he did. The board struck the
tree top.

There was a sliding swish, a vast cracking of branches.

His weight dropped one end of the ironing board. It landed against a big
branch, and Andy found himself safely anchored in the tree top.

CHAPTER IX

GOOD-BYE TO FAIRVIEW

Looking back at the attic window, Andy Wildwood wondered how he had ever
made the successful descent.

Any boy lacking his sense of athletic precision would have scored a
dangerous fall. Andy now slowly worked his way down thrown the branches
of the tree. He got a few sharp scratches, but was vastly pleased with
himself when he landed safely on the ground.

"Good-bye to Fairview!" he spoke with a stimulating sense of freedom,
waving his hand across the scene in general. "I may not come back rich
or famous, but I shall have seen the world."

Andy did not turn in the direction of Centreville. He felt of the pocket
containing his father's watch and the little box, and then headed
straight for Millville.

That was where the big scholar, Graham, lived. It was five miles away.
Graham boarded with the farmer who had bought Mr. Dale's cow and calf.

Andy had kept Graham in mind ever since he had agreed to pay for burning
up the hay stack. It was about two o'clock when he reached his
destination.

The night he and his school companions had restored the little calf to
its frantic mother, Andy had seen Graham in the window of his room in
the old farmhouse.

Andy now looked up at the window of this room. It was open. A trellis
ran up its side. The house was dark and silent. He scaled the trellis
and rested a hand on the window sill.

"Mr. Graham," he called out softly. Then he repeated the call several
times, gradually raising his voice.

There was a rustle of bed clothes, a droning mumble. Andy called again.

"What is it? who is there?" questioned Graham's tones.

"It's me," said Andy. "Don't be disturbed. Just listen for a minute,
will you?"

"Eh! Is that Andy Wildwood?" exclaimed Graham.

"Yes," answered Andy.

A white-robbed figure came to the window and sat down in a chair there.
Graham rubbed his eyes and stared wonderingly at the strange midnight
visitor clinging to the window sill.

"Why, what's the trouble, Andy?" he questioned in a tone of surprise.

"It's trouble, yes, you can make sure of that," responded Andy wi