He bore that braver front through the last days of school. He shook Lefty's hand warmly and looked fairly into his eyes. "Well, so long, old sock. Be good."
"Be good, Hugo. And don't weaken. We'll need all your beef next year. Decided what you're going to do yet?"
"No. Have you?"
Lefty shrugged. "I suppose I've got to go abroad with the family as usual. They wrote a dirty letter about the allowance I'd not have next year if I didn't. Why don't you come with us? Iris'll be there."
Hugo grinned. "No, sir! Iris once is very nice, but no man's equal to Iris twice." His grin became a chuckle. "And that's a poem which you can say to Iris if you see her—and tell her I hope it makes her mad."
Lefty's blue eyes sparkled with appreciation. Danner was a wonderful boy. Full of wit and not dumb like most of his kind. Getting smooth, too. Be a great man. Too bad to leave him—even for the summer. "Well—so long, old man."
Hugo watched Lefty lift his bags into a cab and roll away in the warm June dust. Then Chuck:
"Well—by-by, Hugo. See you next September."
"Yeah. Take care of yourself."
"No chance of your going abroad, is there? Because we sure could paint the old Avenue de l'Opéra red if you did."