The legal gentleman, however had a more difficult time than he had expected. It took a lot of argument, and more than one meeting, to make d.i.c.k & Co. agree to accept anything whatever.

It was at last settled, however, Mr. Ripley urging upon the young men that they had no right to slight their own future prospects or education by refusing to "lay by" money to which they were honestly ent.i.tled, when it cane in the form of an earned reward from a citizen amply able to pay the reward.

So d.i.c.k and Dave received that thousand dollars, which, of course, they divided evenly.

In addition, each member of d.i.c.k & Co. received one hundred dollars for his prompt and gallant work in rescuing Grace Dodge from death.

Of course Bert, away at private school with Bayliss, heard all about the rescue. It is not a matter of record, however, that Bert ever wrote a letter thanking any member of d.i.c.k & Co. for saving his sister.

CHAPTER XXV

POSTSCRIPT

When the next commencement swung around Fred Ripley, who had managed to "go straight" all through his senior year, was among those graduated. What became of him will yet be learned by our readers in another volume.

There are a host of other Gridley fellows also to be accounted for.

Their part in the subsequent history of Gridley, and of the world in general, will also yet be told, all in the proper place.

"Prin.," too, may yet come in for some attention.

d.i.c.k & Co. did not take part in basket ball nor any of the organized winter athletics though they kept constantly in training. But these young men realized that the High School is, first of all, a place for academic training; so, after the football season had ended so gloriously, they went back to their books with renewed vigor.

Laura and Belle, as they neared the end of their junior year, went almost from girlhood into womanhood, as is the way with girls.

Yet neither Miss Meade nor Miss Bentley found d.i.c.k or Dave "too young" for their frank, girlish admiration.

"You see, d.i.c.k, that we were quite right about you and Dave having all the grit that goes with the highest needs of the military profession," Laura remarked. "Your conduct at the fire shows the stuff that would be displayed by d.i.c.k & Co. in leading a charge in battle, if need be."

"I guess a reasonable amount of courage, under stress, is the possession of nearly all members of the human race," laughed young Prescott.

Here we shall leave our Gridley friends for a short time. We shall meet them all again, however, in the forthcoming and final volume of this series, which will be published under the t.i.tle:

"_The High School Captain of the Team; Or, d.i.c.k & Co. Leading the Athletic Vanguard_."

In this new volume we shall see more of the boys" qualities in leadership.

Before we meet our popular boys in high school again the reader will find the long succession of wonderful events of their summer vacation following their junior year in the last two volumes of the "_High School Boys" Vacation Series_", which are published under the t.i.tles, "_The High School Boys" Fishing Trip; Or, d.i.c.k & Co. in the Wilderness_," and "_The High School Boys Training Hike; Or, Making Themselves "Hard as Nails."_"

These two narratives of a real vacation of real American boys are bound to please the many friends of d.i.c.k & Co. Be sure to read them.

THE END