Now and again the boys stopped the carriage, so that Susie, looking through the gateways, might see the flowers in all their glory of colour. She did not talk much; she was rather tired by the unusual excitement, and by her long stay in the open air. Occasionally they passed a group of the Deanery boys, and then there were cries of "Good old Hartland!" "Well done, Angel!" which made Susie prouder than ever. "I say, Dick," said one urchin, "is it true you’ve been asked to play for the county?" The Angel, who loved a joke, laughed back broadly. "Nothing’s been settled yet," said he, "but I may give ’em a hand if they’re hard pushed. I can’t promise to play regularly, though—at least this season." "What a pity!" exclaimed the boy; "you would have been such a help." The town was beginning to fill with the usual Saturday evening crowd when they reached the main street, and the newsboys were lustily shouting, "Evening paper!" "We must have a paper," said Jim’s mother. "Better wait a bit," observed Dick, with an air of wisdom; "the special edition will be out soon." Just then Temple, the captain of the Magpies, came along. He was reading a paper, and would have passed our friends had not Dick said, "Hullo, old chap; anything about the match there?" Temple glanced up hastily, and, with an odd look at Jim, answered slowly,— "Only the result, and there’s no need to tell you that." "Come on, Dick," said Jim; "he’s got the hump." The Angel was turning round to join his chum when Temple called him back softly. "Haven’t you heard the news?" he asked curiously. "Haven’t heard anything," replied Dick. "We’ve only just come from the ground. You look as solemn as an owl." "I am thinking of Hartland." "Why? He’s all right." Unfolding the paper, Temple pointed with his finger to the space reserved for late news. Dick read the short paragraph, and immediately his face became clouded. "Oh, poor old Jim!" he exclaimed. "And fancy, to-day of all the days in the year." "I’m awfully sorry too," remarked Temple. "Better show him the paper, so that he can tell his mother. Lucky the information came too late to put on the placard." "They’ll have it in big letters on the next lot," replied Dick, slipping the paper inside his flannels. "Hurry him home as fast as you can," said the other. "Somebody may stop Mrs. Hartland and blurt out the news. There are plenty of fools about." Dick was off at once, and, overtaking his friends, rather surprised his mother by saying,— "Step out, mother. You forget it’s past tea-time, and Susie here is as hungry as a hunter." Now, of course Mrs. Boden had no suspicion of the truth, but she guessed from Dick’s face that something was wrong, and, being a wise little woman, quickened her pace. "Fancy Temple taking the hump like that," said Jim as they turned into Cedar Road, where he lived. "Shouldn’t have thought he was that sort."