house in the dark, and wondering what it would turn out to be in the
daytime. They inquired the way to the inn, and decided to stop further
investigations until morning.

CHAPTER X

They were all very weary, and slept well that night; but, strange to
say, Allison, who was the sleepy-head, awoke first, and was out
looking the town over before the others had thought of awaking. He
came back to breakfast eager and impatient.

"We don't need to go any farther," he declared. "It's a peach of a
place. There's a creek that reaches up in the woods for miles; and
they have canoes and skating and a swimming-hole; and there are
tennis-courts everywhere; and it's only eleven miles from the city. I
say we just camp here, and not bother about going on to the other
place. I'm satisfied. If that house is big enough, it's just the
thing."

"But have you been to the college?"

"No, but I asked about it. They have intercollegiate games and frats,
and I guess it's all right. It has a peach of a campus, too, and a
Carnegie library with chimes----"

"Well, but, dear, you aren't going to college just for those things."

"Oh, the college'll be all right. Guardy wouldn't have suggested it if
it wasn't. But we'll go up there this morning and look around."

"Now, children, don't get your heart set on it before you know all
about it. You know that house may be quite impossible."

"Now, Cloudy!" put in Leslie. "You know Allison told you you were a
good sport. You mustn't begin by preaching before you find out. If it
isn't all right, why, of course we don't want it; so let's have the
fun of thinking it is till we prove it isn't--or it is."

Julia Cloud looked into the laughing, happy eyes, and yielded with a
smile.

"Of course," she said, "that's reasonable. I'm agreed to that. But
there's one thing: you know we're bound to go on to the other college,
because Mr. Luddington expects us; and we can come back here again if
we like this better."

"Oh, we can wire him to come here," said Leslie. "Now, let's go! First
to that house, please, because I'm so afraid somebody will buy it
before we get the option on it. I've heard that houses are very scarce
in the East just now, and people are snapping them up. I read that on
the back of that old man's paper at the next table to ours this
morning."

All three of them having the hearts of children, they went at once to
hunt up the agent before ever they got even a glimpse of the halls o