“Listen to this, and you’ll see what I mean,” he said; and then he read from the letter: “‘So you want a new car to enable you to cut a dash with the college boys and girls, do you? I was sort of hoping, Son, that your break into Old Sheddon would make you understand that there are some other things in the world besides having a good time, but it seems it hasn’t. But it’s all right with me. I’ve put two thousand dollars to your account in the college town bank, and you may buy a car with it――if that’s what you want more than anything else. But I should have been a pretty proud Dad if you’d wanted the money for something besides a plaything that you’ll wear out in a year.’” “Well?” said Larry, when McKnight refolded the letter and put it back in his pocket. McKnight didn’t answer the implied query. Instead, he put one of his own. “How far would two thousand dollars go toward boosting little Purdy through his four years, Donnie?” “How far?――Great cats! it would take him all the way through. It’s as much as, or more than, I expect to spend in the four years!” “All right,” said McKnight coolly. “I’ll write you a check for it when I get back to the house.” “But see here――good goodness, Ollie, you can’t do anything like that!” Larry broke out. “In the first place, Purdy won’t take it――no fellow would; and in the next――” “Let’s knock the pins down in one alley before they’re set up in another,” cut in the offhand maker of scholarships. “Of course, one of the conditions would have to be that Purdy doesn’t know where it comes from. We’ll call it the Red-Wagon Scholarship, and let it go at that.” “But even then, he’d consider it a loan and want to pay it back.” “You can’t pay a scholarship back. But that’ll be all right; if he ever gets fixed so he can, let him pass it along――boost some other fellow who needs it. You may as well quit chucking hurdles in the way, Donnie. This is the first time I’ve ever given anything that’s cost me something, and you can’t choke me off. Besides, I’d like to shock Dad――just this one time, you know. I’d give a hen worth fifty dollars if I could be there to see, when he gets the news.” “Then you won’t buy a car?” “Not so you could notice it――not this year, anyway. When you come to think of it, it isn’t good form for a Freshie to be daddlin’ around in a little red wagon anyhow. Which reminds me that it isn’t good form for me to stay daddlin’ around here and keeping you out o’ bed. So I’m gone.” “Hold on a second and I’ll go with you,” said Larry, reaching for his cap and overcoat. “Whichward ho, at this time o’ night?” questioned the son of much money, as they went out together. “I’m going to see if I can find out what’s become of Charlie Purdick,” Larry returned. And at the parting moment: “Sure you won’t change your mind, Ollie, after you’ve slept on it?” “Don’t you worry. I’ve got a lot of weaknesses, Donnie, but that isn’t one of ’em. You go find Purdy.”