about, and now it's up to me to go on with my education--my book
education, I mean."

"The Belmont Academy," Mr. Slocum suggested. "That will fit you for
the university--"

Dick shook his head decidedly.

"And take three years to do it. So would a high school. I intend to be
in the University of California inside one year. That means work. But
my mind's like acid. It'll bite into the books. I shall hire a coach,
or half a dozen of them, and go to it. And I'll hire my coaches
myself--hire and fire them. And that means money to handle."

"A hundred a month," Mr. Crockett suggested.

Dick shook his head.

"I've taken care of myself for three years without any of my money. I
guess. I can take care of myself along with some of my money here in
San Francisco. I don't care to handle my business affairs yet, but I
do want a bank account, a respectable-sized one. I want to spend it as
I see fit, for what I see fit."

The guardians looked their dismay at one another.

"It's ridiculous, impossible," Mr. Crockett began. "You are as
unreasonable as you were before you went away."

"It's my way, I guess," Dick sighed. "The other disagreement was over