“Of course not! But don’t let that trouble you. All ready, you fellows? Well, good-by, Jerry. We’re awfully much obliged to you. Hope we’ll see you again. And don’t forget that you’re going to make some money and enter Hillton.”
Jerry shook hands embarrassedly with each of the four and followed them down to the road.
“Good-by,” he called. “I wish you’d all come again. You been good to tell me about them schools. I—I had a mighty good time!”
They walked on in silence for some distance. Then, when the corner of the hotel had disappeared around a turn of the road, Tom broke out explosively.
“It’s a mu-mu-mu-mean sh-shame!” he said.
“What is?” they asked in chorus.
“Why, that fellow bu-bu-back there. He’d give his skin to gu-gu-gu-go to school, and instead of that he’ll have to stay there in that pu-pu-place all his life!”
“That’s so, Tommy,” said Bob. “It is hard luck. And he’s a good fellow, too, Jerry is. Take those overalls off him, and put some decent clothes on him, and he’d be a good-looking chap.”
“Yes, and he’s built well too,” added Dan. “He’d make the varsity eleven first pop.”
“He’s the sort of chap who’d be popular, I think,” said Nelson. “I wish——”