CHAPTER XXVIII.
AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF INTRODUCTION.
The front door of Dr.Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

Have you not spent a great deal of time on those four ?" "They're worth it, Mary.

There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well." "I fear that is more than you will be able to say of all these others." "Of course it will.

Their fathers and mothers have had a great deal to do with that." They were all "examined," however, in due season, some in one way and some in another; and during all that time Dab Kinzer and his friends were inwardly wondering, whether they said so or not, precisely what impression they had made upon the doctor.
It was just as well, every way, that they did not know.
It was a curious fact, that with one accord they accompanied Dick on his return to their boarding-house; and, while he disappeared through the door at the end of the hall with Miss Almira, some invisible leading-string dragged them up stairs.

Not that they really had any studying to do; but it was dinner-time before they had finished turning over the leaves of their text-books, and estimating the amount of hard work it would cost to prepare for an "examination" on them.
There was no good reason for complaint of that dinner any more than of their breakfast; and it wound up with a very excellent Indian-meal pudding, concerning which Dabney went so far as to say he would like to send the recipe home to his mother.
"I'm so glad you like it," said Mrs.Myers.