Part 13 (1/2)

”I'd have flung the bag in the river before I would give it to such a chap as Tom Rover,” growled Larkspur.

”You trust me, Larky, old boy,” answered Jerry Koswell. ”I know what I'm doing.”

”Humph!”

”I said I returned the case, but I didn't say I returned all that was in it.”

”What do you mean by that?” demanded Flockley. ”If you've got a secret, out with it.”

Koswell looked around to make certain that no outsider was near.

”I kept a few things out of the bag--some things that had Tom Rover's name or his initials on them.”

”And you are going to--” went on Flockley.

”I am going to use 'em some day, when I get the chance.”

”Good!” cried Flockley. ”I'll help you, Jerry!”

”And so will I,” added Larkspur. ”If we work it right we can get Tom Rover in a peck of trouble.”

On Monday morning the college term opened in earnest, and once again the Rovers had to get down to the ”grind,” as Sam expressed it. But the boys had had a long vacation and were in the best of health, and they did not mind the studying.

”Got to have a good education if you want to get along nowadays,” was the way d.i.c.k expressed himself. ”If you don't learn you are bound to be at the mercy of anybody who wants to take advantage of your ignorance.”

”d.i.c.k, what are you going to do when you get out of college?” asked Tom.

”I don't know--go into business, I imagine.”

”Oh, he'll marry and settle down,” chimed in Sam. ”He and Dora will live in an ivy-covered cottage like two turtle doves, and--”

Sam got no further, for a pillow thrown by d.i.c.k caught him full in the face and made him stagger.

”Sam is thinking of what he and Grace are going to do,” said d.i.c.k.

”And you and Nellie will likely have a cottage across the way,” he added, grinning at Tom.

”Really!” murmured Tom, and got as red as a beet. ”Say, call it off,”

he added. ”Do you know we have the necktie rush this afternoon?”

”It won't amount to much,” answered Sam. ”Too many sophs out of it.”

”Don't you believe it,” said d.i.c.k. ”Remember, the juniors come into this as well as the sophs.”

”Say, I've thought of a plan!” cried Tom. ”Greatest ever! I'm going to patent it!” And he commenced to dance around in his excitement.

”What's loose?” asked Songbird, coming up at that moment, followed by some others. ”Tom, have you got a pain in your inwards?”

”No, an idea--it's about the same thing,” responded Tom gaily. ”We want to get the best of the second and third-year fellows during the necktie rush, and I think I know how we can do it. We'll all sew our neckties fast!”

For a moment there was silence, and then, as the others caught the idea, they commenced to laugh.