Dan, who was walking across the campus on his way to his room, looked up as he heard the question and saw before him a slight delicate boy, apparently about fourteen years of age, though he was smaller than most boys of that age.
“Yes, I’m a new boy,” replied Dan smiling as he spoke and stopping to wait for the lad to join him. “Are you new too?”
“Yes. I just came last night. It’s the first time I have ever been away from home.” The lad’s eyes were moist and Dan’s sympathy was at once aroused. He understood the feelings of his companion, though he had different ways of expression.
“First time I’ve ever been away from home too,” he said with a smile.
“Is it?” inquired the lad, interested at once. “Which form are you in?”
“Second.”
“I’m only in the fourth. You’ll have only two years here.”
“And you’ll have four.”
“Yes,” the boy responded, as if the prospect was far from pleasing. “My name is Carlton Hall. What is yours?”