His father and mother exchanged glances as he romped with Fred and Prissie before they went to bed, and seemed in all ways to have returned to his old cheery self.
“What shall we do without him?” was the thought in both their minds, for they could not doubt his high spirits to be caused by the thought of beginning on a new life with the old troubles left behind him.
The evening came to an end at last, and all the juniors except Hugh and Mildred had retired to bed.
Hugh fidgeted with the lamp for a minute, and then threw himself down upon the rug, his head upon his mother’s knee. She smoothed his hair with loving fingers. “Well, dear?”
“Well, I wrote to Haviland this morning and declined his offer,” Hugh answered; “told him I had too good a berth at the Blue-friars to throw it up, but ‘thanked him kindly all the same,’ and——”
“You’re going to stay, my boy?” his father cried, in a voice that was not quite so firm as usual.
“Yes,” Hugh said steadily, “I’m going to stay.”