"I _was_ thinking," admitted Randy, "and I was just wondering if I could
do two years of school work in one, when you called me."

"Well what an idea!" gasped Belinda, "you don't catch me doing more than
one year's work if I can help it, and I wouldn't do _that_ if pa didn't
set such a store by education.

"Why, Randy," she resumed a moment later, "what makes you in such a drive
'bout your lessons, anyway?"

"I'm sixteen this summer," Randy replied, "and I've no idea of waiting
forever to fit myself for something better than a district school."

Belinda looked aghast, and her round face seemed longer than one could
have believed possible.

"Randy Weston!" she ejaculated, "if you're planning to work like that the
whole duration time you won't have a single minute for fun, and how we'll
miss you!"

"Oh, don't imagine that I shall lose all the winter's pleasures, Belinda,"
Randy answered slipping her arm about her friend's waist. "I can study in
the long evenings and I think that I shall be able to join you all in the
'good times' which you plan and yet be able to do the extra work at
school."

"Well, I wish you joy," said Belinda, "but I, for one, get all the school
work I want in a year as it is, and as to extra work, I guess I'll get it
fast enough this winter, although it won't be lessons I'll be attending to