"Are what, Katy?" demanded Alice who had been listening to Dick and Dr. Morton with one ear open for the girl's confidences. She felt rather responsible to Mrs. Halford for Katy and Gertie. Katy colored. "I don't care, Alice, that's what all the girls say, and I can't be goody-goody and proper all the time." "All right, Katy, if you think Mother likes that kind of slang, I don't mind." Katy didn't say anything further to Alice, but when she resumed her story to Jane, she said: "Well, I don't care what you call it, but they all are! And he just smiles in that lazy way of his and doesn't put himself out for anybody. He didn't even take a girl to the senior party, and lots of the Senior girls had to go in a bunch because they didn't have an escort." "But he had awfully good marks," added Gertie, "and Prof. Slocum said he could have been Valedictorian just as well as not if he had tried a little harder." "That's the trouble--he's too lazy to try. I guess if he goes to the Naval Academy as he wants to, he'll have to get over being lazy." Katy evidently wasted no sympathy on Carol. The mention of the Naval Academy fired Jane. She shouted the news to Ernest who was some distance ahead with Sherm. "Yes, Sherm's just told me," he called back, "wouldn't it be scrumptious if we both got to go?" "Oh, is Ernest going?" Katy and Alice and Dick all exclaimed nearly in unison. Chicken Little told them all about Ernest's plans and about the Captain. Katy wished to call on this fascinating individual immediately. But Dr. Morton suggested that he thought they would all be tired enough to rest for the remainder of the day by the time they arrived at the ranch. They were, but not too tired to enjoy Mrs. Morton's hearty country supper. Dick ate hot biscuit and creamed potatoes and fried chicken till Alice declared she shouldn't have the face to stay a month, if he gorged like that all the time. "You'll stop keeping tab on his appetite before you have been here many days, Alice. You'll be busy satisfying your own. You will find country air a marvellous tonic," Dr. Morton assured her. They were all amused to see Katy looking in shocked amazement at Gertie who had just been persuaded to have a second heaping saucer of raspberries and cream. To be sure, Katy herself had had two drumsticks and a breast. But she considered being served twice to dessert away from home highly improper. "I wish it were a little later in the season so Ernest could bring us in quail for you," said Mrs. Morton. "Quail?" Dick's face lighted. "Is the hunting still good around here?" "Excellent for quail and prairie chicken, and the plover are plentiful at certain seasons," Dr. Morton replied. "They found two deer on the creek last winter," added Ernest. "Yes, there are a few strays left but the day for them has practically gone by." "Dick, if you go hunting you've got to take me." Alice put her hands on her husband's shoulders and rested her chin on his hair.