Dan, who was walking across the campus on his way to his room, looked up as he heard the question and saw before him a slight delicate boy, apparently about fourteen years of age, though he was smaller than most boys of that age. “Yes, I’m a new boy,” replied Dan smiling as he spoke and stopping to wait for the lad to join him. “Are you new too?” “Yes. I just came last night. It’s the first time I have ever been away from home.” The lad’s eyes were moist and Dan’s sympathy was at once aroused. He understood the feelings of his companion, though he had different ways of expression. “First time I’ve ever been away from home too,” he said with a smile. “Is it?” inquired the lad, interested at once. “Which form are you in?” “Second.” “I’m only in the fourth. You’ll have only two years here.” “And you’ll have four.” “Yes,” the boy responded, as if the prospect was far from pleasing. “My name is Carlton Hall. What is yours?” “Dan Richards. Where do you live?” “Brooklyn.” “I live away up in the country. I never expected to have a chance to come to this school――――” “Do you like it?” interrupted the boy. “It must be a wonderful place,” replied Dan quietly. “You and I will both have to keep before us all the time what it means to be students in the Tait School.” “Yes,” assented Carlton feebly. “Do you know I am glad I have to study with the teachers. I’d get lonesome if I didn’t. You see, I room alone――――” “Study with the teachers?” broke in Dan. “What do you mean?” “Don’t you know? Why the first-form boys are allowed to do all their work in their rooms, unless they get too low a standing in their exams. Then the fellows in the second form who stand in the first division are allowed to study in their rooms too. All the rest have to study every afternoon and evening in one of the study rooms.” “I didn’t know about that.” “That’s the way it is. Won’t you come over and see me pretty soon?” inquired Carlton wistfully. “Where do you room?” “In Boyd Hall, number seven. It’s the single room at the head of the stairs, in the south entry.” “I’ll be glad to come,” Dan promised readily. The unspoken appeal in the big blue eyes could not be resisted. “Come over and make a call on me. I’m in nine, Badger Hall――west entry.” “Do you room alone?” “No, Walter Borden rooms with me.” When Dan entered his room he found Walter and Ned both there, and as soon as they saw him Walter exclaimed, “What do you think, Dan? We’ve got a proposition to form a school league.” “Have you?”