e Academy."

"Thank you for telling me," nodded Greg. "Then I shall know how
to keep my mouth shut. Laura will be a Miss Sharp's this afternoon,
of course?"

"Naturally. And Belle Meade, also."

"Then," proposed Greg, "suppose we 'phone the girls and ask if
we may call this afternoon and escort them to Miss Sharp's. We
must do something to show that we appreciate their loyalty in
remaining at West Point last winter until your name was cleared
of disgrace."

"Yes; we'll 'phone them," nodded Dick.

On both days, so far, that he had been home, Dick had called at
Dr. Bentley's to see Laura. In fact, that was the only calling
he had done, though he had met scores of friends on the street.

Both young ladies were pleased to accept the proffered escort.

"By the way," proposed Greg, "what are you going to do this morning?"

"Going out for a walk, for one thing," replied Dick. "I've talked
to mother until she must have ear-ache on both sides, and feel
tired of having me home."

"What do you saw if we trot around and extract handshakes from
some of the follows we used to pack schoolbooks with?" hinted
Holmes. "For instance, Ennerton is down at the bank, in a new
job. Foss is advertising manager in Curlham & Peck's department
store. I know he'll be glad to see us if we don't take up too
much of his employer's time. Then Ted Sanders-----"

And so Greg continued to enumerate a lot of the old Gridley High
School boys of whose present doings he had gotten track. Dick
and Greg left the bookstore and started on the rounds to hunt up
the best remembered of their old schoolmates.

And a pleasant morning they had of it. Thought the sun poured
down its heat over the little city, these two cadets, who had
drilled for two summers on the blistering plain and the dusty
roads at West Point, did not notice the warmth of the day.

In the afternoon, in good season, Dick called for Laura, waiting
there until Belle Meade arrived under the escort of Greg.

"These West Pointers make the most correct and attentive escorts
imaginable," laughed Belle. "But there's just one disadvantage
connected with them."

"I hadn't noticed it," smiled Laura.

"Why, when Greg walks beside me, and holds my parasol, I feel
as though I were in the street with my parasol tied to the Methodist
steeple. Where's your rice powder, Laura? I'm sure the sun has
made a sight of my nose and neck."

Laughing merrily, the young people set off for