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“Yes; it gets me every time,” Varley went on. “I’ve had half a notion to see if I couldn’t go into the senior class at your high school, just to brush up on the mathematical review—maybe I shall yet. But first I want to get better acquainted with the town and the people. That’s why I dropped in on your crowd. And now that I’ve said ‘Howdy,’ I’ll move along.”

“Oh, don’t be in a hurry,” said Sam politely.

For the first time the blackboard, with its boldly chalked inscription, caught Varley’s eye.

“Hullo! What’s that? Safety First Club? Say, that’s a funny name for a lot of boys to pick out!”

“Well, it pleases us,” said Sam, a little curtly.

Varley’s ready smile was in evidence. “So I supposed, or you wouldn’t have chosen it. But it’s an odd name, all the same.”

Sam hesitated an instant. “It—well, maybe it is odd. But some things happened to impress us with the need of looking before we leaped. So we agreed on the name. Then other things happened to impress us some more, and we kept it.”

“I see,” said Varley; but then he repeated, “Safety First Club, Safety First?” as if he were still puzzled. “Somehow, that seems to bar a lot of fun.”