Quickly the two boys placed their dinner on the little table. The smoking potatoes, the fish browned and hot, the various tempting viands which Grandmother Sprague had provided made a great display, and for a time conversation ceased, as both boys did full justice to the repast. Overhead the spreading branches of the huge chestnut trees provided ample shade. Before them were the waters of the pond shining and shimmering under the rays of the noontide heat. On the opposite shore men busy in the fields could be seen and over all was the glory of the perfect summer day. “This is the way to live, Dan!” said Walter at last. “Why don’t more people try it?” “Probably they are too busy trying to get an income.” “That’s all right. My father says it’s a great thing for a man to learn to live within his income. He’s trying to teach me how to keep inside of my allowance.” “I suppose that’s so,” said Dan a little dryly, “but to me it has always seemed as if there was something better than that.” “Better than living inside of one’s income?” “Yes.” “What’s that?” “Learning how to live without an income.” “I hadn’t thought of that,” laughed Walter. “I suppose it’s true.” “It is, when you are wanting to do what I’m going to try.” “You mean working your way through school and college?” “That’s just what I mean.” “A good many have done it,” suggested Walter lightly. “Yes, I hear that is so, but I’ve heard too that a great many people die every year. I don’t know that that fact makes dying any easier for the man when his own time comes.” “What’s the trouble, Dan? Did the big snake scare you?” “No.” “What is it then?” “I’m thinking of that home run you’re going to make to-morrow.” “I’ll do my best.” “We’ll need it.” “Have they a good nine?” “I’ll tell you more about that after the game.” “You’re the king-pin, Dan. If you have a good head on your shoulders――――” “Yes; I’ve noticed that it’s the man with a head that gets ahead.” “You’ll do,” laughed Walter, leaping to his feet as he spoke. “What’s next?” CHAPTER IV THE REWARD OF PATIENCE “The ‘next thing’ is to wash these dishes and put them back in the baskets where they belong.” “What’s the use?” drawled Walter lazily. “Some day we’ll want to use them again.” “Use them, then; I don’t object.” “But you’ll want them clean.” “They were clean enough just now, weren’t they? You put some potato on the plate on which I’d been eating potato and fish, didn’t you? I didn’t find any fault, did I?” “I didn’t notice any very vociferous complaint.” “Of course you didn’t. Well, if a plate is clean enough to keep on eating from, I don’t see any use in bothering with it.” “You mean that dishes that are clean enough to stop eating on are clean enough to begin with again?” laughed Dan. “You’ve struck the nail on the head the first time.” “That may do in New York. It won’t do here.”