An hour had elapsed when Walter, who had not once left the piazza where he and his mother had been seated, exclaimed excitedly, “There he comes, mother! I hope he has had good luck.”
“I’m sure your father has induced the foolish boy to accept his offer. He has a great way of dealing with men, though I must confess that I haven’t very much sympathy with Dan. It seems to me that he has been a very foolish boy even to hesitate a moment. I’m sure he never will have another such opportunity.”
“You don’t know Dan, mother,” said Walter as he arose and ran down the steps to greet his father. “What luck, father?” he asked eagerly. “Did you get Dan to say he would go?”
“Yes.”
“Great!” shouted the excited boy. “We’ll make you an honorary member of the nine! How did you do it? What did Dan say?”
“He didn’t say very much.”
“But he really is going?”
“You’ll find him next September in your room when you go back to school.”
“Tell me how you did it!”