"What is it, grandmother? Is it the Fire-
men's dances?"

She nodded.

"I'm sorry I sneaked off like that. But
there's nothing wrong about the dances, and
I haven't done anything wrong. I like all
those country girls, and I like to dance with
them. That's all there is to it."

"But it ain't right to deceive us, son, and
it brings blame on us. People say you are
growing up to be a bad boy, and that ain't
just to us."

"I don't care what they say about me, but
if it hurts you, that settles it. I won't go to
the Firemen's Hall again."

I kept my promise, of course, but I found
the spring months dull enough. I sat at home
with the old people in the evenings now, read-
ing Latin that was not in our High-School
course. I had made up my mind to do a
lot of college requirement work in the sum-
mer, and to enter the freshman class at the
University without conditions in the fall. I
wanted to get away as soon as possible.

Disapprobation hurt me, I found, -- even
that of people whom I did not admire. As the
spring came on, I grew more and more lonely,

[[259]]

p258 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p259w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p260

v?