I told him that he ought to
have apologized to me--too."
Rivers was amused. "Apologies are not much in fashion among Westways
boys. What did he say?"
"Oh, just that he didn't see that at all--and then he said that he was
going away this fall to study medicine, and some day when he was a doctor
he would have a chance to get even with me, and wouldn't he dose me well.
Then we both laughed, and--I shook hands with him. That's all, sir."
"Well, I am pleased. He is by no means a bad fellow, and as you know he
is clever--and can beat you in mathematics."
"Yes, but I licked him well, and he knows it."
"For shame, John. I wish my Baptist friend's boy would do better--he is
dull."
"But I like him," said John. "He is so plucky."
"There is another matter I want to talk about. I had a long conversation
about you with your uncle the night before he left. I heard with regret
that you want to go into the army."
"May I ask why?" said John, as he lay on the ground lazily fingering the
pine-needles.
"Is it because the hideous business called war attracts you?"
"No, but I like what I hear of the Point from Uncle Jim. I prefer it to
any college life. Besides this, I do not expect to spend my life in the
service, and after all it is simply a first rate training for anything I
may want to do later--care of the mills, I mean.
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