“I hate to stay indoors this beautiful June morning. Get your cap and let’s walk out along the river road. We can be alone there, and at the same time enjoy what both of us love--Nature.” “All right, Frank. Wait up just a minute, will you?” In a short time they had left the confines of the town behind them, and found themselves under the trees along a favorite drive that followed the course of the picturesque Harrapin river. The spring rains had come rather late, and the water was unusually high for the time of year. It was boiling along at quite a merry pace, gurgling, and in some places creating quite a furore. “Now, what was it you wanted to tell me, Frank?” asked Ralph, when they had been walking briskly along for a mile or so, with Frank so busied in his thoughts that he had apparently quite forgotten the real reason for their morning exercise. “Why, to be sure. Excuse me for seeming to neglect it so, old fellow. Truth is, I was bothering my head over a personal matter, and wondering what influence that fellow Lef Seller could bring to bear that would ever induce Minnie to go out riding with him; for I saw them start off as I was on the way to your house.” Frank possibly turned a bit red as he spoke; but then every one knew just how much he thought of Minnie; and it had stabbed him to the quick to see her seated in that fine vehicle of the Sellers, with the grinning Lef at her side. Cudgel his brain as he would, Frank could remember no cause he had given her for treating him this way. They had parted on the preceding evening with a laugh, and Minnie had seemed just as much pleased to be in his society as ever. And yet she had bowed to him rather frigidly, he thought, as he met them; while Lef could not for the life of him restrain that contemptuous grin. Ralph understood. They must have driven up the river road, then. That, in a measure, would explain just why Frank chose to walk that way. Upon the freshman’s face a look of real sympathy gathered; but he was too wise to attempt to express it in words. “I can see the tricky hand of that Lef Seller somewhere back of this thing, and you can bet he’s said something or other to set her against you, Frank,” he did manage to remark. “I wonder if he would dare, knowing that I can break him if I choose,” muttered Frank, as he mechanically put his hand into his inner coat pocket. Then he began to feel more hastily, a look of concern coming over his face. By the time he had covered every pocket in his garments he smiled grimly. “Well, a fellow has to get up bright and early in the morning to keep ahead of that cunning old fox!” he said, bitterly. “What’s the matter, Frank?” demanded his companion, who had been surveying his actions with wonder written all over his face. “I had something that seems to have taken wings and flown away, that’s all.” “But you act as though it concerned Lef,” Ralph kept on.