In the first place there was his studying. Had not Bob assumed an
obligation that must be lived up to and that was quite as binding as
if it existed on paper instead of in a mere invisible point of
honor? He was very grateful to Bob and had given bond that he would
live up to the pledge his chum had made for him. Now he must fulfil
his promise, Van argued. So although the call of the springtime was
strong and difficult to resist he had been faithful to his work,
"plugging away," as he expressed it, with all his strength. To his
surprise the task, so irksome at first, became interesting. It was
a novel experience to enter a classroom and instead of moving in a
mental haze possess a clear idea of what was going on. Twice he was
able to furnish the correct answers to Latin questions on which
every one else had failed, and what a thrill of satisfaction
accompanied the performance!
The attitude of his teachers changed, too. Formerly they had been
polite; now they became even cordial, demonstrating by an
unsuspected friendliness that they were after all ordinary human
beings and rather likable ones at that. They were moreover amazingly
sympathetic and met every endeavor of Van's with generous aid.
Perhaps schools were not the prison-houses he had formerly thought
them!
There had, of course, been no chance to conceal from the boys the
reason of his banishment from the ball field and tennis-courts; such
a story as the motor accident travels with insidious speed.
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