“Well, all right, if you want to; but not now. Not one word before I get off, which will be this afternoon probably. I really can’t blame Father much; it was tough for him to miss a decent breakfast and he has a lot to put up with from us kids--with all he does for us! But he won’t be bothered with me for a while and if I get over there maybe he will never again be bothered with me. Well, I’ll see you later, Mel, and let you know. I’m off to see Clem Stapley now; perhaps he will be going, too.” But on his way Don stopped at the Army and Red Cross recruiting station, in the same busy office, being received with much gusto, both because of his recent heroic conduct in landing the German agent and of his frank engaging manner. He had much to say, found much to learn and got what he was after. Then he climbed the hill toward the Stapley mansion. Clem was at the garage, helping the chauffeur tinker with a crippled motor. “Hello, old man!” shouted Don, but he noticed that the older lad hardly turned his head. He seemed much interested in his task. “Well, what’s the good word?” continued the visitor. “Anything new?” “Don’t know a thing,” answered Clem, without looking up. “Well, things are coming my way,” Don said. “Yes, I notice,” Clem agreed, with a sneer on his face, “and you’re not dodging them very hard, either.” “I was speaking of Government duties,” Don offered, ill at ease. He had been satisfied that the old ill feeling had been completely patched up, between Clem and himself, by the heroic episode through which they had just passed, for his own feeling was friendly. But surely Clem’s manner was cool, even more curt than before. However, in the last remark the older lad showed some interest. “How do you mean, ‘Government duties’?” he asked. “I’ve just joined the Red Cross ambulance service, Clem. Leave tonight. Thought you’d like to know--” “I enlisted with the Marines two days ago,” Clem announced rather coolly. “Good for you! Hurrah! When do you go? We might--” But Clem, who had turned back to work on the car said curtly: “When I get ready. In a few days, perhaps.” “No chance, then, for us to get away together?” “None in the least.” “Well, I’m glad you got in. Of course you had no trouble. Your father gave his--” “Look here, Richards!” Clem turned toward the younger boy almost savagely. “I don’t see that you need to concern yourself with what I’ve done, or doing. As for Dad, you ought to be satisfied after what you got out of the company.” “Oh! So that’s what’s the matter with you, eh? Sore about that; are you? Well, you know I wanted to divide; I wanted to be fair to you. It was not my--” “I didn’t see you breaking any bones in an effort to be fair.” “If you say I didn’t want to be fair, that I was entirely satisfied in taking all that money, then, Stapley, you lie!” “Say, before I’ll take much of that from you I’ll punch your head!”