CONCLUSION
Commencement Day!
For a large percentage of High School boys and girls, the end
of the sophomore year marks the end of their schooling.
This was true at Gridley as elsewhere. When the crowd came forth
from commencement exercises at the Opera House on this bright,
warm June afternoon, there were not a few of the sophomores who
were saying good-bye to the classic halls of instruction.
Not so, however, with Dick & Co. They were bound all the way
through the course, and hoped to take up with college or other
academic training when once good old Gridley High School must
be left behind.
"What are you going to do this summer, Prescott?" asked Dr. Bentley,
gripping the lad's arm, as Dick stood on the sidewalk chatting
with Dave Darrin.
"Work, mostly, doctor. I'm getting near the age when fellow should
try to bear some of the expense of keeping himself."
"What will you work at?"
"Why, reporting for 'The Blade.' I believe I can capture a good
many stray dollars this summer."
"Good enough," murmured Dr. Bentley, approvingly. "But are you
going to have any spare time?"
"A little, I hope---just about enough for some rest."
"Then I'll tell you where you can take that rest," went on the
medical man. "My family are going into camp for the summer, in
three days. They'll be over at the lake range, on a piece of
ground that I've bought there. You can get over once in a while,
and spend a night or two, can't you? Mrs. Bentley charged me
to ask you and Darrin," added the physician. "Belle Meade is
going to spend the summer in camp with Laura."
Both boys were prompt with their thanks.
"Confound it," muttered Dr. Bentley, "I'm forgetting two thirds
of my message at that. The invitation includes all of Dick &
Co. Now remember you'll all be looked for from time to time,
and most heartily welcome."
Both boys were most hearty in their thanks. This took care of
whatever spare time they might have, for Dave, too, was to be
busy a good deal of the time. He had work as an extra clerk at
the express office.
Then the two girl chums came along. Dick and Dave strolled along
with Laura and Belle. The other partners of Dick & Co. were soon
to be seen, their narrow-brimmed straw hats close to bobbing picture
hats.
"Your father gave us a message, Laura," Dick murmured to the girl
beside him.
"And you're going to accept it?" asked the girl quickly.
"At any chance to be honestly away from work," Dick promised fervently.
"Yet at my age a fellow must keep something of an eye toward
business, too, Laura."
"Yes," she answered slowly, glancing covertly at the bronzed young
face and the strong, lithe body. "You're nearing manhood, Dick."
"Just about as rapidly as you're growing into womanhood, Laura,"
answered the boy.
Dave and Belle were chatting, too, but what they said wouldn't
interest very staid old people.
Gridley was prouder than ever of its athletic teams. The great
record in baseball, with Dick & Co. in the team, was something
worth talking about.
Lest there be some who may think that a season of baseball with
no defeats is an all but impossible record, the chronicler hastens
to add that there are, through the length and breadth of these
United States, several High School teams every year that make
such a showing.
Yet, in baseball, as in everything else, the record is reached
only by nines like the Gridley crowd, where the stiffest training,
the best coaches and the best individual nerve and grit among
the players are to be found.
Did Fred Ripley truly make good?
What else happened?
These and various other burning questions must now be answered
in the chronicle of the time to which they belonged. So the reader
is referred to the next volume in this series, which is to be
published at once under the caption: "_The High School Left End;
Or, Dick & Co. Grilling on the Football Gridiron_."
At the same time, no interested reader will allow himself to overlook
the second volume in the "_High School Boys' Vacation Series_,"
which runs parallel with this present series. All the wonderful
summer vacation adventures that followed the sophomore year of
Prescott and his chums will be found in the volume published under
the title, "_The High School Boys' In Summer Camp; Or, The Dick
Prescott Six Training for the Gridley Eleven_." It is a thrilling
story that no follower of the fortunes of these lads can afford
to overlook.
THE END
End of Project Gutenberg's The High School Pitcher, by H. Irving Hancock