an Temple went to Chicago to-night, thank goodness, to
buy some railroads and things. So long--see you soon."

Tom was glad, he was even proud, that the letter was signed by the
familiar nickname, and he was glad of the friendly "So long."

Before he allowed himself to think of anything else he read the letter
over again, lingering upon the familiar and humorous phrases which
seemed to constitute himself and Roscoe as close friends. The part
pertaining to himself he read in a half daze. It seemed to knock the
bottom out of his whole theory that he who does right is always safe.
Tom's mind, in some ways, was very, very simple, and now that he read
the letter in relation to himself it was a knockout blow.

For a few minutes he stood gazing out of the postoffice window, watching
two men who were taking down the registration-day decorations from the
hotel opposite. A soldier in khaki went by and stopped to chat with
them. A farmer came in for his mail, and Tom heard his voice as in a
dream.

Then suddenly he shook off his abstraction and walked back to the little
grated window.

"I want to get a stamped envelope," he said.

At the writing shelf he tore a sheet out of his scout blank book and
wrote:

"DEAR ROSCOE:

"I got your letter and I'm glad you got registered and that nobody
knows. If you had told, it would have spoiled it all.

"I see I did get misjudged, and if they want to think that I tell
lies and break promises, let them think so. As long as they think
that, anyway, I've decided I will go and help the government in a
way I can do without breaking my word to anybody.

"You can see, yourself, I'm not one of the kind that tells lies.

"I've got my mind made up now; I made it up all of a sudden like,
as long as that's what they think. So I'm not coming back to
Bridgeboro. I'm going away somewhere else. The thing I care most
about is that you got registered. And next to that I'm glad because
it helped us to get to be friends, because I like you and I always
did, even when you made fun of me.

"Your friend,
"TOM."

He put the letter in his pocket, thinking it would be better to mail it
from New York. Then he went out and over to where young Archer was
sitting.

"I've decided I'll go if you can get me a job," he said "and if