Then Billy walked by Uncle John, while Mr. Prescott and Dr. Crandon went slowly before them down the long avenue of elms.
Billy listened to the two men as they talked. He found out that they had both been to college, and then somewhere else. He couldn’t quite make out what Mr. Prescott’s other place was; but it was somewhere specially to study iron.
This talk about college was all new to Billy. He liked the stories that they told, one after another. He had never seen Mr. Prescott so happy.
“That,” he said, stopping before a large brick building that looked very old, “is where I used to room. Second story front.
“Billy, look back.”
Billy, turning, saw the great yard, green everywhere, with long shadows of trees and buildings resting on it in the low light of the afternoon.
“It’s like the city and the country put together,” he said. “It’s the most beautiful place that I ever saw!”
“Prescott,” said Dr. Crandon, “were you ever on a football team?”
“He was captain,” broke in Billy. “He told me so!”
“He’s captain still,” said John Bradford, in his slow, even way.