The last flivver had honked off into silence and the afternoon’s event, the arrival and departure of the four-eighteen train, had passed into history. Barry gave up his quest and followed the route taken by the others, along the platform to the corner of the station and thence across an area of sun-smitten gravel to the main thoroughfare of Wessex. His suit-case wasn’t heavy, and he wasn’t going to mind the walk; only, he didn’t understand why Clyde hadn’t met him as he had promised. And then, quite abruptly, Clyde was there. Clyde was rather warm of face and a trifle breathless, a condition that caused him to voice his greeting in tones of resentment rather than apology: “Well! Got here, eh? Gosh, but it’s warm! How are you?” “Great,” answered Barry, with an enthusiasm the other considered quite uncalled for. “What time did you get here, Clyde?” “About a quarter-past two. We had a flat, and lost ten minutes, I guess. That new chauffeur of Dad’s is a dumb-bell. All thumbs.” “Dumb-bells are like that,” chuckled Barry. Clyde Allen glanced questioningly at him and then frowned. Barry had an irritating way of making jokes that Clyde didn’t fathom. The boys were proceeding unhurriedly along Main Street, Barry still in possession of bag and overcoat. Clyde had made a none too emphatic reach for the suit-case, but Barry had shaken his head and tightened his grasp on it. Now the latter asked: “How far is this room of mine, Clyde?” “Oh, just a little way. Not quite out to the school. You understand how it was about the other place, don’t you?” “Why, yes, I guess so,” replied Barry. “Anyhow, it’s all right. I mean――oh, of course I’m disappointed, Clyde, because I did want to get into a dormitory, but if I can’t, I can’t.” “Sure!” agreed the other, with evident relief. “Anyhow, you aren’t missing anything. Lots of the fellows would be glad to be where you are. Being outside gives you a heap more――more freedom. And Mrs. Lyle’s is the best of all the private houses. Gosh! I was disappointed, too, old top, when Hal sprung it on me! I thought of course he was going in with Pete Johnston, but Pete fixed up a deal with another chap so he could get into Meddill, and so――well, Hal had no place to go and the least I could do was to tell him to stay. I thought of course you’d be able to get on the campus. But everything’s chockablock this fall. A whole bunch of chaps have had to go outside, I hear.” “Are there any other fellows at Mrs. Lyle’s?” “Yes, I believe she said she had two others. You’ll like it there. She’s a good scout――Mrs. Lyle. I knew a fellow who was there last year and he was crazy about it.” “Is he there now?” asked Barry. “No, he’s in Dawson this year. He’s in the First, and of course First-Class fellows want to be on the campus. Last year, you know, and――and all that.” “I suppose so,” Barry responded. “Well, I dare say I’ll get along fine at Mrs. Lyle’s, Clyde, and you mustn’t bother about me.”