Toby nodded. “Yes, I am thinking of it, but I guess it won’t get beyond the thinking, Arn. Where’d I get two hundred and fifteen more? Maybe dad could spare me fifty; say twenty-five at first and another twenty-five in the winter, but that would leave a hundred and sixty-five to be got somewhere. I don’t suppose a fellow could—could earn anything there, could he?”
“I don’t believe so,” answered Arnold dejectedly.
“I didn’t know. You read about fellows at college cutting grass and shoveling snow and—and things like that, you know, and helping themselves a whole lot. I thought maybe a fellow could do something of that sort at Yardley.”
“Well, maybe he could,” said Arnold cautiously. “I wouldn’t say he couldn’t, Toby. Wouldn’t your father come across with more than fifty?”
“I don’t say he’d come across with any,” answered Toby. “He isn’t making much money nowadays, although things look better this summer. He’s got four orders so far, counting yours, and one of them’s a pretty big one. But I wouldn’t want to ask him to let me have more than fifty, anyhow. If there was only some way to earn some money around here!” Toby gazed thoughtfully across at the near-by shore. “Running errands doesn’t get you much. I’ve thought of about everything. Sometimes you can do pretty well fishing and selling to the summer folks, but when the fish don’t bite any better than they’re biting today——”
His voice dwindled away into silence and for a minute only the lap-lap of the water was heard. Then it was Arnold who began again, prefacing his remark with a long sigh. “Gee, Toby, it would certainly be great if you could come to Yardley,” he said wistfully. “Think of the dandy times we could have! And playing ball like you did Saturday, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d make your class team right off! And then there’s football and hockey——!”
Toby nodded agreement. “I’d sure like it,” he muttered.
“Isn’t there any way to earn that much?” pursued Arnold. “Look here, couldn’t you do anything with this launch? Couldn’t you sell her for something?”
Toby looked startled. “I hadn’t thought of that,” he said slowly. “She wouldn’t fetch much, though. Besides, you can buy plenty of second-hand launches around here. They are as thick as blackberries. Maybe—maybe I’ll think of some way, though. I—I’ve sort of made up my mind to go to that Yardley Hall place, Arn, and when I make up my mind I most always get what I’m after. It’s funny, but that’s the way it is.”
“Well, then, you make up your mind hard!” laughed Arnold. “And I’ll make up mine hard, too. And—and maybe it’ll really happen!”