"Humph!" snorted Tom. "Well, I suppose we may as well give it up, fellows. The only way we could worm it out of Dick would be to rub his nose in the dirt. And he might fight if we did. This is where I have to leave you. So long! I'll meet the army at five o'clock."
Smiling broadly, Dick went on his way home. He put away his diploma, next removing his best suit and laying it carefully away. Then he donned his more accustomed clothes and ran down to the store.
"It was a very enjoyable exhibition, Dick," said his father.
"And I suppose our son feels that he's a man now?" smiled Mrs.
Prescott.
"No; I'm not, mother, and I don't want to be in any hurry, either. There's too much fun in being a boy. And now I've an appointment to meet a lot of the fellows."
"Don't let that appointment make you forget supper time," his mother called after him.
Spoff Henderson and Toby Ross were already at the place of appointment.
"Here comes Dick!" called Spoff. "Now, tell us."
"Wait until the crowd gets here." returned Prescott.
"Ain't you the mean one?" growled Toby. "And we ran all the way home and back."