“Hello! You here?” cried Dan Baxter, and dropped his suit case on the depot platform. “Thought you were at the college.”
“Came down for an airing,” answered Dick. He held out his hand. “How goes it with you, Dan?”
“Fine! Couldn’t be better.” Baxter shook hands with both boys, and they could not help but notice how clean-cut and happy he appeared, quite in contrast to the careless, sullen Dan of old.
“Come on business?” inquired Sam.
“Yes.”
“What are you selling?” asked Dick.
“I am in the jewelry line now, representing one of the biggest houses in the United States. I was going through to Cleveland, but I made up my mind to stop off here and see you. I heard from one of the old boys that you were here.”
“I am sure I am glad to see you, Dan,” said Dick, “and glad to know you are doing well.”
“Maybe you’ll be a member of the firm some day,” added Sam with a smile.
“I don’t know about that. I’m willing to work, and the traveling suits me first-rate. They pay me a good salary, too—thirty dollars per week and all expenses.”
“Good enough!” cried Dick.
“I came to see you fellows,” went on Dan Baxter in a lower voice. “I haven’t forgotten what you did for me when I was on my uppers. It was splendid of you. I realize it more every day I live. My father is with me now—that is, when I’m home. We are happier than we ever were before.”
“That’s good,” murmured Sam.
“I want to see you all. Where is Tom?”
“Up to the college.” Sam did not deem it necessary to go into particulars.
“I’d like to see him, too. I’ve got something for each of you.”
“What is that?”
“Before I tell you I want you to promise you’ll accept it. And by the way, you got that money back, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, will you accept what I want to give you? I want to show you I appreciate your kindness.”
“We didn’t expect anything, Dan,” said Dick.
“Oh, I know that, Dick, but please say you’ll take what I have for you. It isn’t so very much, but it’s something.”
“All right, if you want it that way,” answered the oldest Rover, seeing that his former enemy was very much in earnest.
Dan Baxter put his hand in an inner pocket and brought forth three small packages.
“This is for you, Dick, and this for you, Sam,” he said. “The other is for Tom. They are all alike.”
The two Rovers undid the packages handed to them. Inside were small jewelry cases, and each contained a beautiful stickpin of gold, holding a ruby with three small diamonds around it.
“Say, this is fine!” murmured Sam.
“Dan, we didn’t expect this,” said Dick.
“But you said you’d accept,” pleaded Baxter. “They are all alike, as I said before. I had the firm make them to order, so there is nothing else like them on the market. The three diamonds represent you three brothers, and the ruby—well, when you look at that you can think of me, if you want to. And another thing,” went on Baxter, his face flushing a trifle, “the pins are settled for. They didn’t come out of my stock. I mention this because—because—” The young traveling salesman stopped in some confusion.
“Dan, we know you are not that kind,” said Dick hastily.
“Well, I was, but I’m not that kind any longer—everything I do is as straight as a string. I paid for those stickpins out of my wages. I hope you will all wear them.”
“I certainly shall,” said Dick. “I shall prize this gift very highly.”
“And so shall I,” added Sam.
Dan Baxter had heard something about their search for the fortune on Treasure Isle, and as they walked over to the hotel for lunch the Rovers gave him some of the details. In return he told them of some of his experiences on the road while representing a carpet house and another concern, as well as the jewelry manufacturers. He told them of several of the former pupils of Putnam Hall, including Fenwick better known as Mumps, who he said was now working in a Chicago hotel.
“You boys can rest assured of one thing,” said Dan Baxter during the course of the conversation, “if I can ever do you a good turn I’ll do it, no matter what it costs me.”
“That is very kind to say, Dan,” answered
Dick. “And let me say, if we can do anything more for you we’ll do it.”
The three youths spent several hours together and then Sam and Dick said they would have to get back to college. Secretly they were worried about Tom.
“Well, please give the pin to Tom,” said Baxter, “and if you feel like it, write me a letter some day,” and he told them of the cities he expected to visit during his next selling tour. Then the Rovers and their one-time enemy separated.
“Not at all like the old Dan Baxter,” was Sam’s comment,
“He is going to make a fine business man, after all,” returned Dick. “Well, I am glad of it, and glad, too, that he and his father are reconciled to each other.”
Sam and Dick had covered about half the distance back to Brill when they saw a figure striding along the country road at a rapid gait.
“Why, say, that looks like Tom!” cried Sam.
“It is Tom,” returned his big brother.
“Do you suppose he has run away?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps the doctor has suspended him.”
“Hello!” called Tom as he came closer. “Thought I’d find you in town yet. Come on back and have some fun.”
“What does this mean, Tom?” demanded Dick, coming to a halt in front of his brother. He saw at a glance that Tom looked rather happy.
“What does what mean, my dear Richard?” asked the fun-loving Rover in a sweet, girlish voice.
“You know well enough. Did you run away?”
“No. Walked away.”
“Without permission?” asked Sam.
“My dear Samuel, you shock me!” cried Tom in that same girlish voice.
“See here, let us in on the ground floor of the Sphinx,” cried Dick impatiently.
“I will, kind sirs,” answered Tom, this time in a deep bass voice. “I went to the room and remained there about an hour. Songbird went out on a still hunt, Max with him. The two overheard Jerry Koswell and his cronies talking, learned Jerry did the trick, came back and told me, and—”
“You told the president,” finished Sam.
“Not on your collar button,” answered Tom. “I waited. The president sent for me. I went. He tried to get me to confess, and then the telephone rang, and that did the biz.”
“Say, Tom, are you crazy?” demanded Dick.
“Crazy? Yes, I’m crazy with joy. Who wouldn’t be to get free so easily?”
“But explain it,” begged Sam.
“I can’t explain it. As I said, the president tried to make me confess, and of course I had nothing to confess. When the telephone rang I heard one voice and then two others, one after another. I think they belonged to Koswell, Flockley and Larkspur, but I am not sure. The voices talked to Doctor Wallington about ten minutes. He got mad at first and then calmed down. I heard him ask, ‘In Professor Sharp’s room?’ and somebody said ‘Yes.’ Four times he asked for names, but I don’t think he got them. Then he went out of the office and was gone about a quarter of an hour. When he returned he said, ‘Now, on your honor, for the last time, Rover, did you mar that photograph?’ and I said ‘No,’ good and hard. Then he said he believed me, and was sorry he had suspected me, and he added that I could go off for the rest of the day and enjoy myself, and here I am.”
“And you didn’t squeal on Koswell & Company?” asked Sam.
“Nary a squeal.”
“Do you imagine they confessed?
”
“I think they told the president over the ’phone that I was innocent, maybe the three swore to it, but I don’t think they gave their names.”
“What did they mean about Sharp’s room?”
“I was curious about that, and I found out from one of the servants. Sharp found an envelope under the door. It contained a five-dollar bill, and on it was written in a scrawl, ‘For a new photograph.’”
“Koswell & Company got scared mightily,” mused Dick. “Well, I am glad, Tom, that you are out of it.”
“And as a token of your escape we’ll present you with this,” added Sam, and brought forth the package from Dan Baxter. Tom was much surprised, and listened to the story about the former bully of Putnam Hall with interest.
“Good for Dan!” he cried. “I’ll write him a letter the first chance I get.”
“And here’s a letter from Nellie,” said Dick, “and one from father, and another from Aunt Martha.”
“Hurrah! That’s the best yet!” exclaimed Tom. “I’ve got to read ’em all. Sit down and rest.” And he dropped down on a grassy bank and his brothers followed suit.
CHAPTER XII
IN WHICH THE GIRLS ARRIVE
“You may be sure of one thing, Tom,” remarked Dick while he and his brothers were walking back to Brill, some time later, “Jerry Koswell has it in for you. You had better watch him closely.”
“I intend to do so,” answered Tom. “But there is another thing which both of you seem to have forgotten. That’s about the dress-suit case. Did Koswell find it, and if so, did he take anything else besides the box of pencils and crayons?”
“He’ll never admit it,” put in Sam. “Not unless you corner him, as Songbird did about the photo.”
“He’ll have to tell where he got the box, Sam.”
“I doubt if you get any satisfaction.”
And Sam was right, as later events proved. When Tom tackled Koswell the latter said positively that he knew nothing of the dress-suit case. He said he had found the box on a stand in the hallway near Professor Sharp’s door, and had used it because it suited his purpose.
“But you saw it had my name on it,” said Tom.
“No, I didn’t. It was rather dark in the hall, and all I saw was that it contained pencils and crayons,” answered Jerry Koswell.
“Well, I don’t believe you,” answered Tom abruptly. “You did it on purpose, and maybe some day I’ll be able to prove it.” And he walked off, leaving Koswell in anything but a comfortable frame of mind.
Tom was curious to see how Professor Sharp would act after the affair. During the first recitation the instructor seemed ill at ease, but after that he acted as usual. Tom half suspected the professor still thought him guilty.
“Well, it was a pretty mean thing to do,” soliloquized the fun-loving Rover. “If anybody did that to a picture of Nellie I’d mash him into a jelly.”
All of the Rovers were awaiting the arrival of the girls with interest, and each was fearful that some poor recitation might keep him from going to meet them at the Ashton depot on Wednesday. But, luckily, all got permission to go to town, and they started without delay as soon as the afternoon session was ended.
“Where bound?” asked Songbird, in some surprise, as he saw them driving off in a carriage Dick had ordered by telephone.
“Going to meet Dora and Nellie and Grace,” answered Dick. “Do you—er—want to come along?”
“Oh, sure. I’ll see them all home myself,” answered the would-be poet with a wink of his eye. “No, thank you. I know enough to keep out of somebody else’s honey pot. Give them my regards,” he added, and strolled off, murmuring softly:
“If them love me as I love thee, How happy thee and I will be!”
The boys got down to the depot ahead of time, and were then told that the train was fifteen minutes late. They put in the time as best they could, although every minute seemed five.
“Hello! There is Dudd Flockley!” exclaimed Sam presently, and pointed to the dudish student, who was crossing the street behind the depot.
“Maybe he came down to meet somebody, too,” said Tom. “More than likely there will be quite a bunch of girls bound for the seminary.”
At last the train rolled in, and the three Rovers strained their eyes to catch the first sight of their friends.
“There they are!” shouted Dick, and pointed to a parlor car. He ran forward, and so did his brothers. The porter was out with his box, but it was the boys who assisted the girls to alight, and Dick who tipped the knight of the whisk-broom.
“Here at last!” cried Dick. “We are so glad you’ve come!”
“Thought the train would never get here,” added Sam.
“Longest wait I’ve had since I was able to walk,” supplemented Tom.
“Oh, Tom, you big tease!” answered Nellie merrily, and caught him by both hands.
“Yes, we are late,” said Dora a bit soberly. She gave Dick’s hand a tight squeeze. They looked at each other, and on the instant he saw that she had something to tell him.
“How long it seems since we saw you last,” said Grace as she took Sam’s hand. Then there was handshaking all around, and all the girls and boys tried to speak at once, to learn how the others had been since they had separated after the treasure hunt.
“We’ll have to look after our trunks,” said Dora. “There they are,” and she pointed to where they had been dumped on a truck.
“I’ll take care of the baggage,” said Tom. “Just give me the checks.”
“And we’ve got to find a carriage to take us to Hope,” added Grace.
“All arranged,” answered Sam. “We are going to take you up. Dick is going to take Dora in a buggy, and Tom and I are going to take you and Nellie in a two-seated. The baggage can go in a wagon behind.”
“But I thought there was a seminary stage,” began Grace.
“There is, and if you’d rather take it—”
“Oh, no! The carriage ride will be much nicer.” And Grace looked at Sam in a manner that made his heart beat much faster than before.
“Do you know, it seems awfully queer to be rich and to be going to a fine boarding school,” said Nellie. “I declare, I’m not used to it yet. But I’m glad on papa and mamma’s account, for neither of them have to work as hard as they did.”
“Papa is going to improve the farm wonderfully,” said Grace. “He is going to put up a new barn and a carriage house and a new windmill for pumping water, and he has bought a hundred acres from the farm in the back, and added, oh, I don’t know how many more cows. And we’ve got a splendid team of horses, and the cutest pony you ever saw. And next year he is going to rebuild the wing of the house and put on a big piazza, where we can have rocking-chairs and a hammock—”
“Yum! yum!” murmured Sam. “The hammock for mine, when I call.”
“Built for two, I suppose,” remarked Dick dryly.
“Dick Rover!” cried Grace, and blushed,
“He’ll want it for himself and Dor—” began Sam.
“Here comes Tom,” interrupted Dick hastily. “All right about the baggage?” he asked loudly.
“All right. The trunks and cases will go to the seminary inside of an hour,” answered Tom, “so we might as well be off ourselves. We can drive slowly, you know.”
“Well, you can go ahead and set the pace,” answered his elder brother.
The buggy and the carriage were already on hand, and soon the boys and girls were in the turnouts, and Tom drove off, with Dick following.
As they did so they saw Dudd Flockley standing near, eyeing them curiously. They had to drive close to the dudish student, who was attired in his best, and he stared boldly at Dora and the Laning girls.
“What a bold young man!” was Dora’s comment after they had passed.
“He’s a
student at Brill,” answered Dick. “Not a very nice kind, either.” Dick was much put out, for he did not like any young man to stare at Dora.
Ashton was soon left behind, and carriage and buggy bowled along slowly over a country road lined on either side with trees and bushes and tidy farms. Under the trees Dick allowed his horse to drop into a walk, and managed to drive with one hand while the other found Dora’s waist and held it.
“Dick, somebody might see you!” she half whispered.
“Well, I can’t help it, Dora,” he answered, “It’s been such a long time since we met.”
“Yes, it seems like years and years, doesn’t it?”
“And to think we’ve got to go through college before—before we can—”
“Yes, but Dick, isn’t it splendid that we are going to be so close to each other? Why, we’ll be able to meet lots of times!”
“If the seminary authorities will let you. I understand they are very strict.”
“Oh, well, we’ll meet anyhow, won’t we?”
“If you say so, dear.”
“Why, yes, dear—that is—Oh, now see what you’ve done!—knocked my hat right down on my ear! Now, you mustn’t—one is enough! Just suppose another carriage should come up—with somebody in it from the seminary?”
“I’ve got my eye open,” answered Dick. “But just one more—and then you can fix your hat. They’ve got to make some allowance for folks that are engaged,” he added softly, as he pressed her cheek close to his own.
“Are we engaged, Dick?” she asked as she adjusted her hat.
“Aren’t we?” he demanded. “Why, of course we are!”
“Well, if you say so, but—but—I suppose some folks would think we were rather young.”
“Well, I’m not so young as I used to be—and I’m growing older every day.”
“So am I. I am not near as young as I was when we first met—on that little steamboat on Cayuga Lake, when you and Tom and Sam were going to Putnam Hall for the first time.”
“No, you’re not quite so young, Dora, but you are just as pretty. In fact, you’re prettier than ever.”
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