But I saw at
once that my flippancy did not suit the occasion, for the two young
fellows glanced at each other very seriously and seemed embarrassed.
"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

Silverthorn now spoke, in his soft light inexperienced voice, which
possessed a singular charm.

"It's all Bill's idea," said he, rather carelessly. "I would much
rather have the understanding in words, but he--"

"Yes," broke in Bill, growing suddenly red and vehement, "I'm not
going to have it a thing that can be forgotten. No one knows what
might happen."

"Well, well," said I, "if I'm to help you, you'd better fire away and
tell me what it is you're after."

"I will," returned Vibbard, with a touch of that fierceness which
marked his resolute moods. "Thorny and I have agreed to stand by each
other when we quit college. Men are always forming friendships in the
beginning of life, and then getting dragged apart by circumstances,
such as wide separation and different interests. We don't want this to
happen, and so we've made a compact that whichever one of us, Thorny
or me, shall be worth thirty thousand dollars first,--why that one is
to give the other half. That is, unless the second one is already well
enough off, so that to give him a full half would put him ahead of
whichever has the thirty thousand. D'you see?"

"The idea is to keep even as long as we can, you know," said
Silverthorn, turning from one of my books which he had begun to glance
through, and looking into my eyes with a delighted, straightforward
gaze.

"That's a very curious notion!" said I, revolving the plan with a
caution born of legal readings. "Before we go on, would you mind
telling me which one of you originated this scheme?"

I was facing Silverthorn as I spoke, but felt impelled to turn
quickly and include Vibbard in the question. They were both silent. It
was plain, after a moment, that they really didn't know which one of
them had first thought of this compact.

"Wasn't it you?" queried Silverthorn, musingly, of his comrade.

"I don't know," returned Vibbard; then, as if so much subtilty annoyed
him: "What difference does it make, anyway? Can't you draw an
agreement for us, Ferguson?"

But I was really so much interested in getting at their minds through
this channel, that I couldn't comply at once.

"Now, you two fellows, you know," said I, laughing, "are younger than
I, and I think it becomes me to know exactly what this thing means,
b