Mrs. Lyle called Betty, and, left alone, Barry pondered how to spend the next hour or so. He missed Peaches――no mistake! Toby’s companionship offered little enticement. Nor did Mill’s, for these days Mill put the entire burden of entertainment on the radio. In the end he made up his mind to go to see Clyde! His courage almost but not quite left him before he reached the partly open door of Number 42 Dawson. From within came a medley of voices and his knock produced several loud invitations to enter. When he did so, Clyde looked surprised and flustered. Jake Greenwalk and Goof Ellingham stared in a bored manner and Hal Stearns’s expression was of mingled incredulity and hostility. Clyde, though, didn’t let the silence grow awkward. “Hello!” he exclaimed in friendly tones. “Come on in, youngster. You know these ducks, don’t you?” Jake and Goof greeted him affably enough, possibly taking their cue from the host. If Hal uttered any greeting Barry didn’t hear it. Barry found a seat and replied to Clyde’s inquiries as to his recent activities, the news from home, and so on, and then the interrupted conversation went on again. The new-comer listened in silence for a while. Major Loring, it appeared, was conducting the Broadmoor football team straight down the path to destruction. The principal exponents of this theme were Clyde and Hal, but Goof tacitly agreed with them. The assistant coaches were a couple of “false alarms” and were balling things up in such a fashion that a guy didn’t know what to do any more. They were still going strong when Jake Greenwalk cut in with: “What do you think about it, Locke? Haven’t heard your hammer yet.” “Oh, Locke’s subsidized,” laughed Goof, not offensively, however. “You mustn’t expect a frank opinion from him.” “Gosh, no!” sneered Hal. “He’s teacher’s little pet.” “Don’t get nasty,” said Jake. “Why,” answered Barry, quietly, “I’m new here yet and probably haven’t any right to an opinion. But if you really want it, it’s this, Greenwalk: I think the Major and Graham and Mears are doing a pretty good job.” “You surprise me!” said Hal. “Think of that!” “Well, you haven’t much to complain of,” remarked Clyde, dryly. “You’d be a chump to kick, I’ll say.” Goof and Jake went off after a minute or two and Barry said: “You chaps will want to do some studying, so I’ll wander.” “Don’t say ‘want to,’” Clyde objected, accompanying him to the door. Hal had already picked up a book and was ostentatiously unregardful of the guest’s departure. “Well, drop in again,” said Clyde, nervously perfunctory at the threshold. Barry turned and looked at him straightly. “Does that mean that you want me to, Clyde?” he asked.