“No, that’s not it!” interrupted Dan. “You wouldn’t be thinking as much of me as you would of yourself. You’d be saying to yourself, ‘I can’t take Ban. It’s too much to take as a gift.’ Now, be honest, Walter, isn’t that really just what you’d think?” “Perhaps I might,” admitted Walter, “but that has nothing to do with this case.” “Hasn’t it?” “Not a bit! You see――――” “I don’t just see. I tell you, old man, it’s good of you and your father, but I want you to think of my side too.” “Dan, you’re an obstinate old――――” “I guess you’re another.” “I’m not, either! You just pull back like a balky mule!” “While you’re pulling just as hard the other way.” “You’ll be sorry some day and call yourself seven kinds of a fool! It isn’t every day in the week a fellow gets the chance to turn down such an offer as you’ve got.” “Don’t you suppose I know that?” asked Dan softly, as he became aware that his disappointed friend was becoming angry. “You’ll be sorry when it’s too late, I’m afraid.” “That may be true.” “It will be true! It is true! I simply can’t understand how any fellow can be such a fool as to throw over a chance to go to the Tait School, especially when the chances are that he’ll be the pitcher on the school nine. And, Dan,” Walter continued eagerly, “there hasn’t been a pitcher on the Tait School team who hasn’t been a varsity pitcher after he entered college. There’s Moulton, for example――oh, I’m not going to say anything more about it. If you could only see the Tait School just once you’d be perfectly willing for your old normal school to go to the hayseeds where it belongs. You think it over. I’ll see you again sometime. I’m going back to my grandfather’s now.” As Walter turned away abruptly, and without once looking behind him, he was not aware that Dan remained standing in the place where the conversation had taken place and was ruefully watching his friend as he walked rapidly back to the old bridge. “Well, Walter, what did Dan say when you told him what your father was going to do for him?” inquired Mrs. Borden cheerily as her boy entered his grandfather’s house. “He said he wouldn’t do it,” replied Walter somewhat tartly. “What?” “Yes, mother, that’s exactly what he said.” “Why did he say that?” “You can search me! Dan is as obstinate as a pig in a garden. He’s the most unreasonable fellow I know anywhere.” “I’m sure you did your part. It was noble of you to want to help Dan to obtain an education. I said that to your father――――” “What did father say when you told him?” broke in Walter. “He laughed, and all he said was Dan had fifteen hit-outs in the game.” “Strike-outs, I guess you mean, mother.” “Is there any difference between a strike and a hit? I should think they meant pretty much the same thing. If you were to strike another boy you’d be hitting him, wouldn’t you?” “I might strike at him without hitting him.”