well tell
you the truth. And it makes me feel like a criminal. Old Man Temple
has got the knife in you. _Greatly disappointed in him_--that's
what he told Ellsworth and Pop Burton. Can't you see the old man
frowning?

"I went in to put some mail on his desk and the whole three of them
were in there pounding away with their little hammers. The old man
was as nice as pie to me--patted me on the shoulder and gave me the
glad hand. Said I was Uncle Sam's boy now. They didn't even know I
wasn't registered Wednesday."

Tom was glad of that. He had succeeded better than he had dreamed. His
awe of Roscoe Bent had not entirely vanished, and he was proud to
receive so familiar a letter from him. He was so generously pleased that
for the moment he did not think of much else. Then he read on:

"Ellsworth said he'd been afraid you would do just what you had
done--run off and join the army. He said you promised him you
wouldn't, but he guessed you couldn't stand the strain when you saw
the fellows lining up to register.

"A couple of Boy Scouts told Ellsworth they saw you coming out of a
pawnshop, and they were chewing that over in the old gent's office.
But I guess those kids were dreaming, hey?

"The old gent said he guessed you were afraid to go up on the
platform at the rally but didn't like to tell him so. Tom, I never
knew you were scheduled for that--why didn't you tell me? You're
aces up--you're one bully old trump. I never even knew you till now.
You're a brick, you stubborn, tow-headed old forest fighter! You're
fourteen-karat and you don't even know it yourself--you're so blamed
stupid!"

Tom gulped slightly as he read this and his eyes glistened, but he read
on with a kind of stolid indifference:

"I was going to tell them the whole thing, Tom, but I guess I was
too mean and too much of a coward. Anyway, I promised you I
wouldn't. I hope your ankle is better, and if you can't get home,
let me know and I'll come up after you.

"In a hurry,
"Rossie."

"P.S. When Pop Burton told Margaret E. that you had run off to join
the army, she said that was splendid. He told her you'd have to lie
about your age, and she said that was _glorious_. Can you beat
that? Old M