Dick went to only one, in October.  He stagged it, whereas Greg often dragged.  But Prescott saw no girl there who looked enough like Laura Bentley to interest him.  His standing in class interested him far more than hops at which a certain Gridley girl could not be present.

Laura had written him that she and Belle might be at a hop early in December.

“I’ll wait and look forward to it,” decided Dick.  But he said nothing, even to Greg.  Holmes was showing an ability to be interested in too many different girls, Prescott decided.

But it may be that Holmes, knowing that Griffin corresponded with his pretty, black-eyed little sister, may have been intentionally furnishing subjects for the news that was despatched to a Virginia seminary.

“Come on, old ramrod,” urged Greg one Saturday night, as he gave great heed to his dressing.  “You’ll bone yourself dry, staying here all the time with Smith’s conic sections.  Drop that dry math. rot and stag it with me over at Cullum tonight.  You can take math. up again after chapel tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” replied Prescott, turning around from the study table at which he was seated.  “I don’t care much for the social whirl while there’s any doubt about the January exams.  It would be no pleasure to go over to Cullum.  There’ll be real satisfaction if I can look forward to better marking this coming week.”

Dick spent his time until taps at the study table.  But when he closed the book it was with a sigh of satisfaction.

“If I can only go through a few more nights as easily as I have tonight, I’ll soon astound myself by maxing it” (making one of the highest marks), he told himself.  “I think I’m beginning to see real light in conic sections, but I’ll have the books out again tomorrow afternoon.”

* * * * * * * *

“Well?” challenged Holmes gayly, as he entered their room after the hop.

“I believe I’m going to turn over a new leaf and max it some,” grinned Prescott.

“Don’t!” expostulated Greg, with a look of mock alarm.

The daily marks were not posted until the end of the academic week, but Prescott knew, when Monday’s recitation in mathematics was over, that he had found new favor in the eyes of Captain Abbott, the instructor.  On Tuesday again he was sure that he had landed another high mark.

Greg caught some of the fire of his chum’s example, and he, too, began to bone so furiously that he decided to drop the hops for the time.

Wednesday again Dick marched back in mathematics section with a consciousness that he had not fumbled once in explaining the problem that he had been ordered to set forth the blackboard.

“I hear that you’re going to graduate ahead of time, and be appointed professor in math.,” grinned Greg.

“Well, I’m at least beginning to find out that some things are better than hops,” laughed Dick happily.  “Greg, if I can kill math. to my satisfaction this year, I shan’t have another doubt about being able to get through and graduate here!”