Occasionally Dan had been out on the diamond with Samson, the gym instructor and trainer, but the work had been only occasional. The trainer was also the coach of the eleven and his duties did not leave much spare time. On the other hand, Dan’s eagerness to work on his studies had caused him to make use of the occasional half-holidays in consulting with Mr. Hale or in studying in his own room. His success in striking out the three heavy hitters as he had on his first appearance on the diamond had established a certain reputation for him, which steadily grew. He was awkward in his manner and very quiet-spoken in his intercourse with his fellow students, although he was invariably pleasant in his dealings. As a consequence he had come to occupy a unique position in the life of the school. Great things were expected of him, as he very well knew, and yet, at the same time, though he was respected, he was not the intimate friend of any. Ned had been with him, perhaps, more than any other boy, and the two classmates were in the way of becoming fast friends. As for Walter, his enthusiasm had apparently reached its highest point at the beginning of the term and had been running down ever since. There were times when, to Dan, his presence in Walter’s room seemed to be a source of irritation which the latter was at no pains to conceal. Dan, after his usual quiet manner, did not refer to what he saw nor to his own feelings. He was still the same quiet earnest boy that he was when he had first entered the Tait School. He was troubled far more than he would acknowledge by the growing intimacy of Walter and Gus. The latter had been a frequent visitor in their rooms, where he either ignored Dan or made some slighting remark which was intended to hurt. But as Dan seldom retorted, the pleasure of the attempt was soon lost and of late it had been Walter who had made the visits, seeking out Gus’s room several times daily. Twice Dan ventured to remonstrate with his roommate, but each time Walter was angry, and as Dan discovered that his protests apparently did more harm than good he soon ceased his endeavors, although he still was deeply troubled by the growing intimacy. In this manner the fall days passed and the settled routine of the life in the Tait School became less irksome to Dan. He was steadily improving in his work, a fact which was noted by Walter as well as by others. “Dan, you’re just making a grind of yourself,” said Walter irritably one day when the two boys were by themselves in their room. “Am I?” asked Dan good-naturedly. “Yes, you are. There are some things for a fellow to learn in school besides Latin and math.” “Yes, I have noticed that,” said Dan quietly. “Then, why don’t you pay some attention to them?” asked Walter sharply, his growing irritation becoming still more manifest. “I didn’t want to room with a ‘chump.’” Dan’s face flushed, as in a low voice he said, “What do you want me to do, Walter?”