3 A =. \ : » a oc ; i mA SSS Gas ze oy eS = = Si EASES} < Rete EOS Gis LUNG ee eI eee ‘that canceled date. y for'the Aniéfican Youth _.._ oii 7 Issued Weekly. By subscription $2.50 per year. Emteréd as/Second-class Matter at the N. Y. Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 19-89 Seventh Ave., WV. Y. Entered according to Act of Congress im the year 1908, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C. ad No. 637. NEW YORK, June 27, 1908. Price Five Cents. Frank Merriwell’s Young Clippers; OR, a TAKING A FALL OUT OF A FAST TEAM.’ By BURT L. STANDISH. CHAPTER I. FILLING AN OPEN DATE. A tall,.,,slender young man with coarse dark hair and a small, coal-black mustache, stood on the steps of the leading hotel of Wellsburg and frowned. He was attired in a negligee suit, panama hat, and russet His clothes were loose-fitting, yet distinctly He was shoes. tailor-made, for they hung well upon him. chewing at a cigar which he had lighted and permitted to go out. “Now, where the dickens is that man Sprague?’ he muttered. “May the Old Nick fly away with him! He agreed to meet me here in Wellsburg, but he hasn't shown up. Looks as if I’d have to go back without him, and there’s no prospect of getting a game in this town Friday. I don’t see how I’m going to fill in Can’t jump to Newton Falls, for the expense of coming back to Larchville the follow- ing day would eat up every cent of possible profit and put me behind.”’ A large touring-car, carrying four persons, stopped in front of the jewelry store of J. Jasper & Son, across the street. The person who had been driving the car, a splendid specimen of physical manhood, with a reso- lute yet refined face, stepped from the car after the young colored man at his side had leaped out. There was something magnetic, something unusual, some- thing remarkably distinctive in this man’s appearance, which caused the fellow on the hotel steps to survey him intently. “A handsome chap,'that,” he murmured. “By Jove! as handsome a man as I ever put my eyes on! Won- der who he is?” A bell-boy, who had stepped out of the hotel at this moment, heard the ‘inal words and spoke up at once in a most respectful manner. “That’s Frank Merriwell, sir,” he said. “Perhaps you've heard of him? Almost everybody has heard of him and his School of Athletic Development in Bloomfield.” “Frank Merriwell, eh?” breathed the man addressed. “T should say I had heard of him! Who hasn’t? I’ve always wanted to get a look at that man. Here’s-a quarter, my boy, for your information.” The bell-boy accepted the quarter with thanks. ~~. games! It’s TIP “This Merriwell used to be a great baseball-player,” continued the man. ‘“‘He was the greatest pitcher they ever turned out at Yale. Wonder if he’s interested in the game now?” | “Interested ?”” - Why, he always Bloomfield. We used to trim everything in the coun- “You. bet he is! there at laughed .the boy. has a corking old team over ty; but. since Merriwell started his school we've never been able to beat Bloomfield in a series.’ “And that’s rather interesting, too,” laughed the man. in the negligee suit. “How large a place is _ Bloomfield ?” ~ “Oh, nothing but a little squirt of a But, good gracious, they do get out crowds at their ball- | amazing how people attend those games. Everybody goes. The whole country around Bloom- field seems to be baseball daffy; “Why, them to have bigger crowds at some of their games than [ ever saw at a game in Wellsburg.” Well, “nodded a7 town. Pve-known that’s still more interesting information,” the man. “I think I'll interview Mr. Merri- He descended the steps and crossed the street. By this time, the two boys who had occupied the rear seat of the touring-car, having spoken a few words with Merriwell, were on their way down the main street of the little city. The colored man had returned ~ to ‘the car, which it seemed to be his purpose to guard. piecriw ell was = the point of Rane the store of ; T beg your pardon, sir. rrirel” I’m told that you are Mr. | “wat, my naire is Windham—Wa ter ‘Windh 1am. Ss : thie greatest sport in the world,” he said. HY es the way of a game or a manly contest of I’ve tried about Eirias a the way denise a Wie need But even ae can't bie Oe with baseball for an all- SCHR: pelt My boys are playing in Dover to-day. open date, but I can’t. be TOP WEEKLY. a-clean and honest manner it hasn’t a single draw- back to mar it, Football is a great game, too, though’ I must confess it does have features to which some — people may reasonably object. It’s a game only for | hardened, trained, finely fitted and naturally endowed — players. As a spectacle it sometimes outranks ‘base- ball. Women generally prefer it to the latter game for the reason that they fancy they understand it bet- ter. They can see the two teams struggling on. the field, and by the shifting line of play they are able _in many cases. to tell which team seems to have thes are so many things they = advantage. In baseball there do not understand that not a few of them get to fancy-_ ing the fastest game is slow and uninteresting. But. I’ve found that when you run across a member of the fair sex who really knows the fine points of baseball and takes any interest whatever in the game, she al-_ ways declares it in every way superior to football.” | Windham si “Oh, I never took any stock in football myself,” he said. “It may be a little better now than it used to be when mere beef and brawm counted for a great — nodded smilingly. deal more in a game than brains and strategy. less as baseball without robbing it of every bit of real excitement and interest. I’m manager of an inde-_ pendent team known as the Eurekas. I think Tve_ sot the fastest bunch outside the leagues this season. ie Didn't feel that Ein it was necessary to be there, for I know. they'll take But I’m up against an open date for Fri- day. Hada new player on the string, a fast short- sop and Seeaer a to meet him here to-day, 4 fancied ‘ the game. There? s ae doing. © tell me you have a team at your school in Bloomfield.” fs “Yes, I have a team of youngsters.” ‘Well, now, look here, Mr. Merriwell, dele can’ t . I make eee to eo my team % oe out ok bie Shi in your Tittle town. | sorts of advertising, and that ought to be a drawin card for you. I feel certain it would. Of course, we’ beat you, but I give you my word that we won 't ru it im If we find your team is too easy, we'll Il hole u and make the game a decént one to witness.” Frank laughed.. . | a “That's Soy kind of you, I must say. ty ve seen aa But Y J doubt ifthey could ever make it as clean and harm- “But you’re in that business. TIP. TOP _ bléachers. I hardly think it would pay Farnham Hall _ 0 take on a professional team for a game.” 2; “Of course, I don’t expect you to give me my usual E ' guarantee money,” said Windham hastily. “If we _ played in Wellsburg I should expect a two-hundred- _ dollar guarantee. In most places we get a great deal - more than that. We played Hoboken for a percentage and carried off nearly five hundred as our part of the _ gate-money. Oh, I’m not comparing your town with Hoboken, Mr. Merriwell. I'll tell you what I'll do. In order to fill in this open date with a game, I'll accept a guarantee of one hundred dollars, with the understanding that I’m to have fifty per cent. of all gate-money that may be taken above that sum. It ‘costs me more than one hundred dollars a day to carry «my team.” ~ “Then I don’t see how you're going to carry it very to ~ “T haven’t made a dollar up to date—not even with tz good money we took out of Hoboken. I’m just about even. If I can’t fill in Friday it’s likely I'll go behind.” | * “My boys have a game for Saturday. It would be utting ’em in a little too thick, don’t you think?” “We play every day we can, Mr. Merriwell.” : Too much playing as. almost as bad as too little for youngsters and ama- eurs. I find that about two hard games a week is all my boys will stand.” ~ Windham looked a trifle Barer but he did © ‘not abandon the effort. “Look here,” he urged. “T’ll tell»you what I'll do. Tilitake chances on Bloomfield: If you'll look after my advertising and see that it’s well scattered through the country, if you'll make every effort to get out a good crowd, I'll accept a guarantee of seventy-five ollars, with the understanding that'I have fifty per cent. of all gate-money taken above that sum. This, however, must be a private matter between us. It wouldn’t do for me to let other places know I had cepted. any such terms, for the managers who are . giving me a hundred and naty) two hundred, even three h ndred, nese get sore.’ What aa they Are they baci rate Histamine? ay - ee : ee provers from the minor ane teams? giving him two warnings I fired him. WEEKLY, be understood between us that Iwill not tolerate pro- fanity, vulgarity, or anything objectionable on Farn- ham Field. I shall further insist on furnishing the umpire, and I give you my word that you shall have a square man.” Windham brightened at once. “T agree to that,” he said, “for I know by your reputation that you oukdor put in’a thief. And, even if you did, the chances would be ten to one that we'd beat you just the same. I’ve got a lot of young-— sters whom I’ve picked up here and there. Two or three of them are college players; the rest are not. But, like you, I have a rule that there shall be no pro- fanity or coarseness on the ball-field. Just now Pm minus a good short-stop, because the fellow I had, although a fast player, was a rather brawling, loud- mouthed He always forgot himself in critical Fur I won’t have lushers, and after. i We're playing _ with a country boy to fill the vacancy, and if Sprague, the chap I expected to meet here, should fail me, it will be necessary to get along as best we can until I can pick up another good man. Will we sign an agree- ment, for the game, Mr. Merriwell? I have some © printed contracts right here in my pocket.” chap. and gave vent to improper language. he drank. moments thermore, Frank considered a moment. : . “T hardly think it will be necessary to sign any con- S tract, Windham,” he said. “Really, I have a curiosity — to see what my kids can do against a professional team. I accept your original offer. I’ll give you a hundred dollars guarantee, with fifty if it rains and there’s no game. You shall also have fifty per cent. of the PAGES? we take in excess of one hundred dollars. - If you're satisfied with this sort of an understanding, send on your advertising, and I'll see. what I can do in the way of turning out a good crowd to witness the. game.’ 3 ha “It’s a go!” cried Windham, in great satisfaction : CHAPTER II. THE VANISHING OF THE VEILED GIRL. While Merriwell and Windham were standing ther a young lady, wearing a heavy veil, brushed past then and entered the jewelry store. | Windham’s eyes followed her. “A trim little clipper,” he murmured. “ ' forget to send along your advertising. TIP. TOP. WEEKLY. That veil was a baf- but I can’t tell how she looks. Merriwell paid no heed to the man’s words. “lve some lool c now,” he ob- served. “I'll see you next Frida after ry, Windham. Good day.” business to - Inside the store Frank specting some - Merry was known by nearly every one in Well and the junior member of the firm hurried to greet him. | “Good Mr. Merriwell,” he said, with a smile. ‘Saw your car outside. What can we do for ~ you?” | “T thought I’d purchase some sort of a trinket for _ Mrs. Merriwell,” “It’s her birthday to- _ morrow.” | In a few moments he was looking at jewelry, with _ the veiled girl near his elbow. of a “trinket” was something rather more expensive than the name would signify, and soon the top of the found the veiled girl in- jeweled hair combs. sburg, mor ning > said Frank. It ‘seerned Merry’s idea ease in front of him was covered by trays holding _ rings, necklaces, and sparkling pins and brooches, vary- ing in price from one hundred dollars to a thousand -. or more. | | _ The girl betrayed sothe interest in the display of jewelry, which was natural enough, for every woman admires ‘beautiful things\of that sort. She continued xamining the hair combs and asking peice in a low, ot unmusical, voice. \ me Before Merry had fully made up his mind as to the purchase he would make, Sand and Morton returned and entered the store. About this time the girl purchased and paid for a oe She ant not see ‘either of the ee Sand ‘Then a most peculiar thing happened. In another ‘momeht she was clinging to the edge of the show- ase and swaying as if on the point of falling. le d, she did stagger r and half-fall against Frank Mer- ll, who caught her and supported her. — “What's the matter, miss?” he asked. ‘She made an effort to answer, but her words | were 0 more than an incoherent murmur, ret a chair, Morton,” directed ae ee ot Don’t — In- thor ae sear aed | seemed no oe as 3 to theix innocence, But when a glass of water was brought the gigl declined to lift her veil and showed signs of reviving» “Tt’s nothing—nothing but a little faintness,” she — whispered. “Uli be all . “Vou'd better take a: swallow of this water,” right—in a minute.” 2 urged Merry. : But still she refused. “No, no; I don’t need it.. I’m, all right Naa s the comb I purchased f I must go,’ “he clerk who had waited on her placed the comb, : ae in a box and neatly wrapped, in her hands. She thanked him, still speaking scarcely above a whis- Her step was steady as she : The door was — now, per, and rose at once. moved toward the door without haste. held open for her, and directly she was gone. Ges “Rather odd; Mr. Merriwell,’ Jack | Jasper. “She seemed decidedly disinclined to show — her face.” R “So I fancied,” said - young ’ nodded Frank, “Have you an idea } you know her, Sand? Sle was all right until you en- tered and spoke.” , ds Ralph shook his head. ah “Of course, I can’t say that I don’t know. her,’ bs he replied, “for I didn’t see her face. But if it’ 5 any Ae one I do know, I haven’t the least idea who it can be.” Merriwell returned to his examination of the jewels. “Where’s that brooch I was looking at, Mr. Jes: ‘ per?” he asked. “It must bé right here,” answered young Jasper. But it was not. In a moment there were evidences of concern on the part of the junior member of the firm and the clerks, for a diamond brooch, valued at nine hundred dollars, was missed, A thorough search failed to bring it to light. 7 Merriwell discovered that the boys who companied him | were ea ree with some ee tae aid take the eee Mr. etriWel aie Jack Jasper. But the manner in which he i, plainly expressed his doubts. “ll vouch for them both,” said Frank. Sand was indignant in a twinkling, os “T must ask to be searched,” he cried. | “I woul leave this store under any other conditions,” “Nor I,” said Morton, following Sand’s lead, — “Of course, we'll do so as a mere matter of for said Jasper. otf yen ‘Il step into the private office we’ soon have it over. | Wher. ‘hig was. ov -» own accord. een e1F TOP tempted to apologize, and added that he had enter- “ained no thought of insisting on searching them, but had done so because they had demanded it. ’ “What could have become of the brooch? In the meantime, Merriwell had been doing some ~ thinking. _ “Mr. Jasper,” he oc Oh - that girl without delay “Why, you don’t think “Of course, I may be wrong,” thing is certain: ” he eried. should advise you to find said. Frank, “but one the brooch did not walk away of its It did not depart without the ass of hands. If you'll take my you'll ring up ~ police headquarters at once and get track of the veiled 3 girl. In the meantime, ee * “No one I ever saw before,” istance advice, we'll do what we can to find You say she was a stranger?” said Jasper, “and I had an idea I knew nearly everybody in Wellsburg. a As he spoke he rang up central, and a moment later was calling for police headquarters. “* Frank hurried out, followed by Ralph and Arthur. “Toots,” he said, speaking to the young colored _ man, who remained in the auto, “did you notice that veiled lady when she came out of the store?” ~ "Ves, sah. Ah observed her mos’ ’ticular, sah.” “Which way did she go?” “Right up de street, sah.” _ “Did she seem to be in a hurry?” - “Ah didn’t notice nuffin’ ob dat sort, Mr. Mer’well. _ She sort ob preambulated along in de mos’ leisurely manner. Yes, sah.” Young Jasper came hustling out of the store. > 34 Se? il have the best man on the force here in less’ “Which way did the girl / than two minutes,” he said. go e". : ua P ~ oe answered eae “Toots tells me «J must remain here until the officers come. Would feel like looking around for the girl, Mr. Merti- the girl. WEEKLY, in the town on which it seemed probable they might — succeed in their purpose, they were finally compelled to turn back disappointed. In front of one of the second-rate hotels of the town Merry espied Walt Windham. . At Frank’s Toots brought the car to a stop at the ae “Off for I presume?” said Windham, as he an the sidewalk and reached the car. direction, sloomfield, “We shall start soon,’’ answered Frank.. “You re- call the veiled girl who entered Jasper’s store while we were talking, don’t you?” “Oh, sure, sure. She rather took my eye. her again.” : “You have?” “Yes, sir.” “Where ?” “On the street. this hotel.” In a moment Merriwell was out of the car. “That’s important information, Windham: While we were in Jasper’s store a robbery was committed.” — ‘You don’t say so!’ Me “The girl was there at the time. She left before — the theft was discovered. A diamond: brooch worth nine hundred dollars was missed directly ia she departed.” 7 “Great Scott! Do they think she stole it?” “Tt looks suspiciously like it, Windham. The police have been notified. You say the girl is in thig¢ hotel?” here now, but I do say I saw I followed and was just in time to catch a glimpse of her going up on the elevator. I made inquiries about her, but no one seemed to know who she was. ‘They told me she wasn’t a euest of the house.”’ . Frank promptly entered the hotel, having I’ve seen I followed her here. She ‘entered “T don’t say she’s her go in. x sasha ! Sand and Morton to remain at the door and watch for Inquiring of the elevator-boy, he learned that she had left the car at the third floor. He was likewise told that she had come out of the mete hour or more earlier. The clerk was found and questioned. ie seemec unable to give any satisfactory information about the ‘ mysterious ‘female. Even though he questioned t elevator-boy and the “bell hop,” he was finally force: to acknowledge that he did not know who ™ could be. Merriwell stepped into a oe and ‘telephoned | : store of, J ree & Sort.) ee EN eee en Mike 4 Be Ros “TIP TOP ema he explained to the cere as he reappeared. “In the meantime, I wish you would take every possible pre- caution to prevent the girl from leaving this house. She is suspected of being a thief.” In less than a minute guards were posted at every exit from the hotel. Three officers in plain clothes soon appeared, accom- panied by Jack Jasper. “Have you got her, Mr. Merriwell?” asked the young man eno “T hope so,” replied Merry. “She was seen to enter this house, and I don’t think she has left since then.” The chief of the officers now took charge of the affair. After making a few inquiries and learning that no one could tell who the girl was, he requested the privilege of searching the hotel, ber enter the store ‘ping out of the car. ‘must be a guest of the house, as her manner seemed to indicate this. be,” said the chief of the officers, ured, Mr. Jasper, that shell not get out of the place without being nae OR which was promptly granted on his promise that the guests should : not be alarmed. - Windham took a deep interest in all that was tran- : EP ting. thief when I saw “But you never can tell swear I didn’t fancy that girl a ,” he said. about these shoplifters.” The search of the hotel was made systematic and thorough. A full hour was spent about it, and at the end of that time the officers were compelled to acknowl- edge themselves baffled. Not a trace of the mysterious girl could be found. | - Still, Windham insisted that she had entered the house, and the bell-boy repeated his assertion that he ad taken her to the third floor and left her there without even noticing which way she turned after step- He declared he had believed she He ‘had asked her what floor she wished, and she had answered promptly. and without sitation. : “Tf she is in Wellsburg now, and I presume she must “you can rest as- I will see that every eS he WEEKLY. baseball manager nodded and smiled, motioning for Merry to approach. $ “Don’t suppose you’ve heard anything more about our mysterious veiled female, have you?” he inquired, as Frank and the boys paused near his table. “Not a thing. I decided to stay over a while to see if there were any developments in the case.” | “If she got away with that diamond brooch she must be a slick proposition. Anyhow, I’m glad I ran across you as I did. I was thinking of taking a train, but I lost it while hanging | around to see if they would catch the vanishing lady. Meantime, my man Sprague, whom I was to meet, has turned up. We'll have to come over to Bloomfield on the train which arrives there at 10:18 p.m. We'll be. there Thursday night. Would you mind engaging ac- commodations for us? There will be eleven men. -1 presume you have a hotel in town?” “Ves, we have a hotel. hotel, you understand. Still, it will prove fairly patsttuctacy I'll speak to the proprietor and have him prepare to put you up. Will you want supper after you arrive?” “Now, it’s likely we will. Think you can arrange that, Mr. Merriwell?” ie “Oh, if I ask’ Jotham Nipper to Have supper tor you I’m certain he will do so. When will we get your’ advertising matter?” iQ “T’ll rush it along so that it will reach you te day after to-morrow. That will give you one day to use” it. In the meantime, if you will, you can do a little advertising in your own way.” “111 look out for that,’’ nodded Frank. At two in the afternoon Merry saw Jack. ec” : and was told that thus far the police had found abso- vd lutely ‘no trace of the suspected girl. “Tt’s equal to a chapter out of a detective” story,” said Jasper. “We still haye the hotel under surveil f lance. She can’t get away. . “I hope you're right,” said Merry. “I did hope you'd discover her before I started for home, but: I’ve got to go now. I wish you godd luck.” (CHAPTER IIL. NED NEWTON. He was.a slender, delicate lad of uncertain ag if ans an oval face and a touch of pink. color in | ee af He. came to Bloomfield on the afternoon trai The whole business is queer. It’s nothing but a country I’m led to believe that as r TIP TOP It was Wednesday. trunk, which he had ee where he sought accommodations, registering s “Edward Newton, Orland, New York.” . He did , ee look like a very strong lad, and he took pains to ex- plain to the somewhat inquisitive landlord that he had _ been sent there by his parents to enter Frank Merri- _ well’s school and had made them agree that he should first visit and inspect the school before definitely de- ‘ciding to become one of Merriwell’s pupils. He was accompanied by a small taken to the hotel of Jotham “You see I'd rather go to a regular school where they have lots of athletics,” he explained, “But my father says that I’ve been studying too hard and that a full year out of school will do me good. look sick, do 1?” _ He asked this question somewhat anxiously, ~. “Waal,” drawled Mr. Nipper, rolling his quid of __ tobacco across his tongue and tucking it into his cheek, _ “yer don’t presactly look sick, but:I can’t say that yer look over an’ above strong. Yer look mejum, as it were, Be yer sick?” “Not often,” was the answer, “Sometimes I’m ill for a day or more, I don’t think it comes from hard studying, but you see our family physician told my - father it did, and then father frightened mother, who ea has always been proud of me because [ stood in my studies far ahead of all other boys of my age,” ~ “Yer must be a rippin’ smart feller at skule-books,” ‘observed the hotel- keeper. “Ts spose yer take to that sort o’ business jest kind o’ nateral, don’t yer?” ~~ “Qh, I don’t know,” ter hic was awfully smart. ‘smarter than I am or ever shall be. - fever and died. I drippers that’s : frightened about me.’ _ *T kind o’ cal’late that’s prob’ly the cause,’ nodded aibpet. “Does Mr. Merriwell know ye’re coming?” “Not now. I have_a letter in my pocket from my “father. You see father wanted to send Mr. Merriwell word. They had some correspondence about me, and t was arranged that I-might come soon. 1 objected, and mother sort of stood by me, so at last father agreed that I might come and look the school over before de- I heard him tell mother he was confident I’d “want to enter the school after J got here, What do = think about it, sir? Do you think a Mecciwell's I don’t sort O° laughed Newton. “TI had a sis- She was a great deal But she had brain — my folks are WEEKLY. know that he sairt’nly has a rippin’ smart bunch of youngsters over there, and they say the records show that he’s made strong, healthy fellers out of them that come to him weak and sickly to begin with.’ he treat them? Dees he work them Do they have any fun? Is he awfully strict?” “But how does hard? “Tell yer what,” was the answer, “he won’t stand for none o’ that a This statement was elicited by the action of the boy, who had produced a package of cigarettes and selected -one, which he was slowly rolling between the palms of his hands. “What business ?”’ “Smokin’ bluntly. “He won't asked N them stinkin’ Jewton, in surprise. said Mr, ” things, ‘low it at all.” “Do you mean to tell me that the boys at Merriwell’s school do not smoke?” z “Waal, they don’t do it with his permission. Le spose there’s a few rascals who sneak out an’ do it on. the sly. Yer, know he takes all sorts 0’ boys, and, by etm! he makes pritty decent fellers of ’em, too, | have to mind him.” “Then bearing’ he is strict? I know I shall “If ye do yer'll be jest about the first one, I’ye- heared of boys who come here with that idee in their heads. , They thought they surely was goin’ to detest Mr. Merriwell, but arter a while them same fellers got detest hit.” so they jest swore, by him and they would do anything — in the world fer him. No, I don’t cal’late he’s harsh, but somehow he makes ’em behaye—somehow he man- ages to handle ’em. How he ever does it, with so many — different kinds 0’ chaps, without using physical force. an’ scaring *em into behaving, is more than I under- stand: But he sairt’nly has a way of makin’ most chaps do jest about as he wants °em to do. Why, there ain’t scarcely a man, woman, or child in this town or the country anywhere ‘round here that won’t stick by : Frank Merriwell through thick and thin. a monstrous big change in this town, too. He’s made I can re- lage with nothin’ going on in it, with dirty streets and unpainted houses and barns, and with a penetiil air of hopelessness that sort o’ made yer sick. That was “fore I got holt o’ this hotel. That was fore Frank Merriwell come here and took the Asher Mer- riwell place and fixed it up and built his. skule-buile ings and started his skule. Arter he done them thi the hull blame town sot up and begun to prink itse He give money right and left for publi¢ improvein ; and thins o that § sort, and people hereabouits Nipper : They c He must be harsh and over- — " member the time when Bloomfield was a dead old =e 2 _ theirselves. ‘TLR TOR took to fixin’ up their buildings and a-cleaning up their _dooryards and .a-scrubbing up everything generally, until we’re just about as proud of Bloomfield for a country village as we can be. One man like him ina town is worth mére for the general good of the place than fifty ordinary selfish men who don’t care a rap about nobody but theirselves, no matter if they be rich as mud.” “Mr. Merriwell must be a very rich man.” “T cal’late he’s got enough to keep him off the poor- farm,” grinned Mr. Nipper. “Yer ain’t seen his home nor his skule-buildings yet, have yer?” “No.” “Waal, when ye do see ’em yer’ll sort 0’ know that he ain’t poverty-stricken. But he ain’t like the rich men that never spend their money for nothin’ except He had a lot of courage to start a skule _ like that, for nobody ever thought he’d make a go of it. Even the newspapers ridiculed it at first, and some _ people said he was plumb daffy. He has made a go of it. The newspapers don’t poke no fun at him now, you bate! I don’t know of but one enemy he’s got in town, and Bloomfield would be better off if that man wasn’t here. His name is Hobson Dobbs. He’s a tricky shyster lawyer that tried to squeeze Mr. Mer- riwell and got it in the neck for his pains.” “Well, you certainly are giving me a very favorable description of Frank Merriwell,” laughed young New- _ ton, striking a match and lighting the cigarette. “Even : now I feel more pee inclined to his school. But “Mebbe yer will If yer w asn’t Ree but a kid ey don’t, like to be called'a kid!” exclaimed Newton entfully. “I’m no kid.” “How old be yer?” Mr. Nipper surveyed the boy intently. “I swan it’s hard to tell. might be eighteen.” I’m going to walk over to the I shall stay here to-night, / “my age at all, 1001 es look around. Yer might be fourteen and _ at Farnham Hall? WEEKLY. around Farnham Hall with a cigarette stuck in yer face.” 2 “ “Thanks,” called the boy over his shoulder, with a laugh. a Nipper stood watching the trim, slender lad until he had disappeared beyond the bridge that spanned the little stream which flowed. through the center of the village. “Kind of a funny feller, that,’’ muttered the land- lord. “Voice as soft and musical as a girl’s. Figger like a girl’s Put him into dresses and he’d make a rather slick tookine girl. I swan, I don’t believe anybody could tell he was a boy. Never knew any youngster to be sent to Frank Merriwell’s skule be- fore in this ere fashion. Good many times their folks come with them. Sometimes they come alone, but it’s — allus arranged aforehand, and they’re met at the depo’ - by Frank Merriwell or some of his assistants. Won- der if that boy told me the truth in everything he said. Gosh hanged if I ain’t inclined to sort o’ think he was lyin’, more or less. Dunno why.- Don’t see no good: reason why he should lie; but I’ve got. that feelin’. ” Come to think his story over, it don’t hang together as well as it might. But I don’t see no reason why he should lie. Mebbe I’m too suspicious. If that young- — ster comes here to skule, I’m going to watch him and — see how he pans out.” , too. CHAPTER IV. ‘ NEWTON INVESTIGATES. No one paid much attention to the stranger who was watching the Farnham Hall lads at practise until he picked up a foul ball that happened to come in his di- rection and tossed it back onto the field. Even in this small action there was something which proclaimed — his adaptness in handling a baseball. Sand observed him then, and asked two or three of the boys if ee fe knew him. All confessed that he was a stranger te them. ee When practise was over, Sand approached Ned New ft ton and spoke to him. | “T’ve never seen you before, either at the schoot or in Bloomfield village,” he said. “You seem to take a lot of interest in our practise. 5 If so, it’s strange some of us 2 didn’t see som when i came.’ Are you a new boy a iP Or _» “I’m not yet a new boy at Farnham Hall,” he said; - ‘but, perhaps, I may be to-morrow.” “Oh!” exclaimed Ralph. “That’s queer. you know whether you will be or not?” “I haven’t decided.” _“Haven’t decided? Are you going to do the deci- ding? Rather odd, I must say.’ My parents did that for me.” Don’t “Oh, my father wanted me to come here, but when I opposed it mother sided with me, and, as a result, I’ve been permitted to come on and look the place over. If I decide to enter the school, I shall do so; but if I decide not to enter it, I’m sure my father won’t in- sist.” “Well, you couldn’t come to clared Ralph. come, old chap. “A little.” “What’s your pet sport?” “Well, I think I like baseball as well as anything, although I’m pretty good as a runner.” “Pretty good, eh?” said Ralph, his eyes fixed on __ the fingers of Newton’s right hand, which were stained a telltale yellowish color. “You smoke cigarettes, don’t you?” Pech yes—I smoke a little.”’ “Judging by the signs, you smoke more than a little, EN ou never can make a good runner while you have that habit. You've got to cut ’em out here. It’s against the rules. Used to smoke a bit myself, but _ Ive quit it.” , 7 _“Tsn’t Mr. Merriwell awfully strict? aed] He has certain rules to which every fellow here is compelled to conform. He doesn’t a better place,” de- “You'd better make up your mind to Play baseball?” 9 don’t know. Be believe in smoking, and I think he’s right in being so “set against it. It’s a bad habit for youngsters, whether it hurts mature menor not.” “Oh, that’s al poppycock! never hurt me.” _ “T’ll guarantee it has hurt your wind. If you were going to train for athletics you’d have to cut out smo- co, in order to get good eee: ’ laughed Newton. “It WEEKLY. The doctor reports to Mr. Merriwell, who then makes out a regular system of exercises and drills for that particular fellow. Say, but he does know how to build a chap up! See that thin fellow yonder? Why, he didn’t have strength enough to lift a pound of feathers when he struck Farnham Hall. He was just about the weakest specimen of humanity I ever put my eyes on. He hasn’t taken on a great deal of flesh yet, but he’s got some muscle and he’s beginning to feel like a fighting-cock. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if he panned out to be a good athlete, and I’m sure he would have died or become a physical wreck if Frank Merriwell hadn’t taken him in hand. That’s what this school does for boys. We have a manual- training department, too, where we learn lots of things about various trades or occupations.” “Don’t you study at all?’ 4” “Not the way you have to study at school. Lately Mr. Merriwell has established courses of reading, and we're required to follow those courses. He found it points. order to keep lots of fellows — necessary to‘do this in from reading sensational novels.” “Then he doesn’t believe in novel-reading?”’ “Oh, yes, he does; but he’s rather careful about the kind of novels we have to read. If a fellow wants Indian stories, he can read Cooper. If his taste runs in that direction, he’s given Dickens, and usually he’s started on Oliver Twist. Just now I’m reading Thack- . eray’s ‘Virginians.’ Mr. Merriwell always talks w ith a fellow and finds out in what direction his taste for reading runs. We have a fine library and reading- _ room, and we’re supplied with all the best magazines _ and weekly periodicals in which we might take inter- est. I believe they’re going to start a class in Cur- rent Events. one, for Mr. Merriwell states that boys should know — what’s transpiring in the world and should discuss such matters. Next fall there’s to be a debating society, — also. Do you know, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if some day Farnham Hall developed into a regular prep’ school? It will be run on an orginal plan, according to the ideas of Frank Merriwell.” . “Gee! My old man sent me here to get mé away from studying. He seems to have an idea that I've. been Studying too hard, and I heard bisa say it would do me good to let up for a whole year.” eae it isn’t so ruc studying as it is ciga- rettes,” suggested Sand. “That may be what ails you old fellow. Well, you’d better make up your mind to enter Farnham Hall. I’ve got to skip along to the ee Sees to take a ae eeges in Me tanl That will be for the benefit of every — ; TIP “POP I’d be glad to show you around, but you'll Pll show you know. have to get permission from Mr. Merriwell. | you the way to his office if you wish to see him.” Newton hesitated, but finally decided that he would accompany Sand, and they followed after the others who were trailing across the grounds toward the school-buildings. Arthur Morton was lingering in front of the gym. “Come on, Sand,” he cried. “Been waiting for you. Going into the tank, aren’t*you?” “Sure,” was the answer. “Who's your friend?’ asked Newton, in a low tone. “That’s the catcher of your ball-team, isn’t it?’ Sand nodded. “Yes, that’s our catcher,” he answered. “I'll in- troduce you. Oh, by Jove, I haven’t asked your name! My name is Sand.” “Mine is Newton.” The strange boy was introduced to Morton and _ shook hands with him. After that, Sand directed New- ue ton to Merriwell’s office. For at least half an hour Ned Newton was in _ private consultation with Frank Merriwell. Leaving _ the office, he departed for the village. - That night, after supper, a party of the old settlers ce of Bloomfield gathered on the veranda of the hotel, 2 i which seemed to be something of an established cus- tom: They sat there smoking and talking as the soft twilight gathered over the quiet little town. The landlord was with them, and after a time young - ‘Newton came out and found a chair. “T ain’t seen hide nor Don’t s’pose he’s laid — “By gum,” said Eli Given, _ hair of Uncle Eb Small to-day. “up with rheumatics again, do yer, Nipper?” “Waal, I dunno,” grunted the landlord, giving a yank at his quid of tobacco and spitting over his shot ul- der to clear the edge of the veranda, “‘I sort o’ reck- Pay this warm weather would knock the kinks out 0’ ‘ _ Uncle Eb’s rheumatism. ” | j “Hello, Eben!” called Given, as iahe newcomer ap- roached, “T was jest axin’ about yer. Ain't seen you ( i day, and I sort 0’ wondered if you was done up 1 on the steps.” WEEKLY. about rhet-, we I don’t believe doctors know a tarnal thing matism.”’ invited Newton, jumping up “Pll sit “Take this chair, sir,’ at once and placing it for the new arrival. “Thank yer—thank yer, son,” grunted Uncle Eb — Small as he accepted the chair and peered sharply at . “My old eyes ain’t jest as good as they to be, ’specially at this time of day, and I don’t seem to recognize ye. Be ye Tom Johnson’s. er oy “No, sir; my name is Newton.” “He's come here to look over skule,” explained Nipper. “He's thinkin’ that skule.” ee “THe.won’t make no mistake if he does that,” de. clared Mr. Small. “I swanny, if I was a youngstet I’d jest like to git into that skule myself. Yes, siree. It’s the finest thing for boys that ever was, and Frank” Merriwell’s the finest man that ever stood | in, shoe- _ the boy. used Frank Merriwellte: pee o’ entering luther.” “I declare,” laughed Newton, as he seated himself on the steps, “I never heard a man praised as much : as I’ve heard the people of Bloomfield praise Frank y, Merriwell, Everybody-seems to think he’s 7.” “No, they don’t—no, they don’t think anything : about it!” cried Eli Given. “They know he’s it! He’s | ptoved it to ’em. Lots of folks around here didn’t” think so ’tarnal much of him when he first come to this place. I guess mebbe I was one that looked kind of stispicious on him. Why, we all ridiculed the idee of his school. It seemed absolutely silly to the most of - us. But it don’t seem that way now, for we've seen him take weak and half-put-up boys and make ’em good, strong, healthy youngsters. Furder than ~ he’s one of the finest citizens any. town ever had, ee ae man. | had ? em all a-coming, I ‘tell ou. turned out to a eee But he had to give in—he had to es A he time, boys Ein ee he! he!” chuckled Uncle Eb. a) done. TP TOR , ; he! he! Eli, I don’t s’pose you’ve forgot the time the old. deacon went and hid in the sullur so that he couldn’t see folks goin’ to the game ’cause he knowed _he’d be tempted to go hisself if he did see em?” “No, I ain’t forgot,” laughed Given. “I ’member everything that happened that day. The deacon crawled out of the sullur arter he thought everybody would be gone to the game, and then along come some young folks from Wellsburg and got him into the wagon and carried him out to Farnham Field. Mis’ Hewett, she was out there, and you bate she was s prised to see Elnathan show up. But before the game was over she was still more s’prised.”’ “He! he! he!” cackled Uncle Eb once more. ‘That - was a red-hot game, wasn’t it? Jiminy crickets, didn’t they have a hummer! The deacon kept still just as ~ long as he could, but whén you and I got down on the coaching-line, Eli, it was too much for Elnathan. He jest galloped right out and j’ined us, and we three done some coaching, didn’t we? I'll never forget how the ‘deacon hollered when Farnham Hall chucked. in the run that won that game. Why, he opened his mouth so wide and yelled so all-fired loud that his false teeth flew right out! Next thing I knew we three had our arms locked and was doing the jig-dance. I forgot all _ about my rheumatics that day.” ~ Given was laughing in a chuckling manner. ” “Then after the game was over,” he said, “we walked back to town, the three of us, a-singin’ ‘Mer- _ry Boys.’ Mis’ Hewett, she finally ketched the deacon, -and I thought she was goin’ to snatch him bald right there. / she did give it to us good, -headed didn’t she, Eben?” _ “She sairtainly did!’ breathed Eben, shaking his head slowly. “Seems to me she used up about every ‘cuttin’ and sourcastic adjective to be found in the dic- ‘tionary. Never saw anybody wilt the way the deacon She took him hum, and they both cal’lated he’d be church-mauled right away. Théy say Eben was scat stiff when he saw the new minister, Owen Clear- path, and old Parson Drypatch a-comin’. But when the new minister announced, that he thought Frank Merriwell a fine 1 man and confessed that he was out plexion o’ things. What capped it all off howsom- ever, was the information that Mr. Merriwell ‘had WEEKLY. She was so ashamed and exasperated that tt “S’pose you know they’re going to have a profes- sional team play here Friday?’ said Nipper. “Pshaw! You don’t say!” breathed Given. regular professional team play here ?”’ “Yep. All arrangements is made. Mr. Merriwell, he’s been to see me about putting up the players,” “Well, grunted Uncle Eb, “I dunno but that’s goin’ most too far. These boys here ain’t nothing but youngsters, and they can’t be expected to play baseball as well as professionals. I’m afraid that game will be mighty one-sided.” “Now, hold on—hold on, Eb!” “A now I swanny!” remdnstrated Eli. “You let Frank Merriwell manage his own business. He’s got jest about the smartest team the skule hase ever turned out, and mebbe that’s good enough to play Anyhow, you bate I’m going regular professionals. to see that game!” CHAPTER V. BOY OR GIRL, WHICH? Ned Newton seemed to listen to this conversation — with a great deal of interest. ¢ Cyrus Tellmore, known in Bloomfield as a harmless teller of big yarns, now started in to relate the story © of a game he had once witnessed in which a team of — schoolboys, averaging sixteen years of age, had de- feated one of the Big League organizations. “When did you dream that, Cyrus?” inquired Given. ‘’Twa’n’t no dream,” asserted Tellmore. don’t you interrupt me. ticulars. That was the most remarkable game that ever was seen. player that ever handled a baseball. as good at that age as Frank Merriwell ever was.” “Haw!” grunted Uncle Eb derisively. was no man as good at it as Frank Merriwell.” “Waal, I dunno, I dunno,” said Tellmore, shaking his head. “You kind of stopned me right in the middle of my story. But if you’d listened I’d proved that this feller was a ripping ferror. and he was cap’n of the team. On this particular day something happened so that he couldn’t git on th field when the game begun. Nobody knowed jest where he was. They sort of tried to hold off till he onto the field and take the game by forfeit unless . senogihoy® braced es and seer | His name was Hinkley, “Now, © I want to give you the par-. . You know them schoolboys had a _ player on their team that was jest about the fastest — I cal’late he was 3 “There never — 12 Miro star “Of course, them youngsters was awfully down in the mouth without any cap to lead them. But they put in their extra man and started playing. They done pritty well, too, considering, for they managed to hold the professionals down so that at the end of the eighth inning the professionals only had eight runs. But the boys hadn’t managed to squeeze in a single tun. The score was eight to nothing. And still Hink- ley was absent. In the last of the ninth the schoolboys went to bat. The first man was an easy out. The man who followed him was just as easy, and it looked as if the game would wind up eight to nothing. The crowd sympathized with the boys, of course, and they was feelin’ pritty bad, when all of a sudden a roar of de- light went up. There was Hinkley comin’ through the gate on a run. He was jest in time to go to bat for the pitcher. With a vicious whack, he slammed the first ball pitched an’ hit it clean over the fence for a home run. Of course that made the crowd feel bet- ter, but eight more runs was needed to win that game, and the man who followed on the order never could make ’em. “Now what do you s’pose happened? You jest wait and I’ll tell yer. Hinkley raced round the bases and galloped into the club-house. In a moment he dis- guised himself as the next player on the list. Out he came, grabbed a bat and again he banged the ball over the fence fora home run. That was two of’em. Just as soon as he circled the bases he dashed ‘into the club- house once more and disguised himself as the next player. It didn’t take no time for him to do it. Out he came, and once more he lifted the ball right slam over the fence for another run. Well, neighbors, to make a long story short, he jest kept that 1p till he had, impersonated every ’tarnal player on the team and knocked out nine home runs and won the game. Now, if Frank Merriwell ever done anything bigger than that I ain’t heard about it, that’s all.” Newton gave.a shriek of laughter as Tellmore fin- ished his yarn, “That certainly was going some!” he cried when he could catch his breath. “I don’t believe Frank Mer- riwell, or any one else, ever beat that.” “No, siree. Nor I either,’ nodded Tellmore. “It was jest about the slickest piece of business I ever seen on the baseball-field.”’ | “Cyrus,” said Eli Given seriously, “if I’d a been born with your imagination I swan to man I could have made my everlasting fortune writin’ lies for the papers to print.” “Now, that’s allus the way—that’s allus the way!” WEEKLY. snapped Tellmore resentfully. “I never can open my mouth that somebody don’t accuse me of lyin’. I’m, gettin’ sick of it—’tarnal sick of it, too. Funny how , i other folks can tell about any remarkable occurrence they’ve seen without any one questioning their verac- ity. CONT ‘ x 1 3 You was over to the school to-day, wasn’t yer, “What did you 9? young feller?’ asked the landlord. think of it? Pritty fine, eh?” “Yes, the buildings are handsome and the place seems attractive. I saw Mr. Merriwell and talked with him. I’ve praetically decided to enter the school.” “Did yer meet any of the boys?” “Yes, I met Sand and Morton.” “Sand, eh? Well, now, there’s a fellow who was a pritty hot case when he come here to Bloomfield. He certainly did raise Ned; but Mr. Merriwell sort o They tell me he’s one of the smartest fellers in skule.” soopled him down. “T don’t guess he’s no smarter than Arthur Morton,” said Uncle Eb. “There’s a boy fer ye. Why, that boy is brave as old Nepoleon hisself. He’s a hero, he is, and everybody in Bloomfield knows it.” Then, for the edification of Newton, he proceeded to relate the story of Morton’s remarkable rescue of Frank Merriwell’s son, who would have been killed by the Eastern Express had not Arthur snatched him from the very jaws of death. “That was a brave thing to do,’ agreed Newton, “An’ I s’pose,’ growled Tellmore, “if that thing had happened somewheres else, and I’d seen it and come here and told about it, everybody would have called me a liar,” “People in this town have no end of respect and ad- miration for young Morton,” said Given. “It made me kind of indignant to think anybody over to Wells- burg should suspect either Morton or Sand of being a thief. It was a shame that them boys had to be searched over there by the police.’ “Tell me about that,” urged Newton, with a show of great interest. He was then told the story of the robbery at Jas- per’s jewelry store, and how Frank Merriwell’s boy companions had been suspected and searched. “‘What’s the reputation of those boys?” asked New- ton. | “Why, Sand’s father is rich! He don’t have to steal.” . : “Sometimes the sons of rich parents become thieves,” murmured the listening lad. “Waal, now don’t you git it into your head for a: | | ; ; ; | { oe - “holler tree in the woods. TIP TOP “minute, young feller, that Ralph Sand would ever do Patines like that.” “How about Morton? Are his parents wealthy ?”’ _“No-o-o,” admitted Eben. ‘They ain’t wealthy, but they’re honest.” eo> Has or never been anything against Arthur - Morton? fv oy guess there’s never really been anything against ic oe though he was sort o’ mixed up in a mess when he fuyst come here.. Mr. Merriwell’s house was’ robbed _ by a wurthless character hereabouts, and Morton was - suspected. He took it to heart so bad that he run away. They had to go arter him and bring him back.” “Did he prove his innocence?” _ “He didn’t have to. It was found out that he was Innocent almost as soon as he skipped. The man who "done the stealing confessed everything.” _ “Why was it that Morton was suspected ?” _ “The stolen mdney was found hid between the mat- tresses of his bed.” . “Ah! How.did it get there?” _ “He had an enemy in the school ahs put it there. es enemy’s nate was Bruno . Lunt, and he’s going to school over to Wellsburg now. - “How did Hunt get hold of the stolen money?” : “He and another boy saw the thief hide it in a Everybody knowed about e robbery, so when they investigated and saw what 5 oi then he went and tucked the appa money in se a ‘tween the mattresses of Arthur Morton’s bed. It was a. trick any rect ever played. They’d ought “That s right,” aistckt Mr. Nibber “But his father yas a pretty fine man. . He stopped here at my house, u know—him and the father of Bumpy Hurd, the “Yes, yes,” nodded Uncle Eb; “they had the nerve fo come back here, a-bringin’ them boys, with the idee that they’ was goin’ to force Frank Merriwell into’ akin’ them back into the skule. That was jest about : Seige an I ever heared of.” ’ said Newton, “that you selene be eS. fr lettin’ her eS away. i declare, I don’t | She must’ ‘a’ "been a a sk th him, a ‘saying that either Sand or Morton did a WEEKLY. one. It was scandalous to suspect either one of them > boys. Why, they goin’ to steal a diamond brooch?” “Of course, Mr.. Merriwell wasn’t searched 2” nured Newton. how was mur- “What?” cried the old men upon the veranda. “Mr. Merriwell searched?” “T say, of course, he wasn’t searched ?” “Sairtainly snapped Given. “What do you think? Do you have an idee in your head that he stole that pin? Ye must be crazy!” not!” “No, I haven’t any idea that he stole the pin, but, perhaps, it was on his person.” “Well, Pll be hanged if he ain’t crazy!’ snorted — Uncle Eb. “How could it be on his person if he didn’t — steal it?” _ “Tl tell you, gentlemen, of a singular instance that : once came under my observation,” said the boy quietly. “A certain man, whom we'll call Williams, and who was known to, be both wealthy and honest—a some- what unusual combination—once entered a jewelry’ store in Philadelphia accompanied by a messenger-boy. It was his interftion to purchase a present for his wife and send it to her by the messenger. While he was examining various valuable articles which interested diamond pin worth,a great deal of money was missed. The messenger had been standing close by the case, and there seemed no one else to suspect. The boy was accused and searched. Not a trace of the pin was found upon him. The man made a purchase later on and left the store in company with the boy, E to whom he gave the article after they wére outside. The purchase he had made was safely delivered by the messenger. The police were set at work upon the case. Three days later they caught the messenger- — boy trying to pawn the stolen pin. Under pressure, the boy was forced to confess and tell them how he got away with it. While he was standing near the show-case he saw an opportunity to snatch the pin and did so. Feeling sure the loss of such a valuable ar ticle would be promptly discovered, the boy quietly reached up under the tail of the man’s coat who was with him and made’the pin fast there. When they: left the store the boy followed close at the man’s he and recovered the pin. trick like th: at but that story was published in the new spaper and | great ae beeple must have read it. Isn't os Pees si: Now, gentlemen, I’m not as CEP: TOP had plenty of chances later on to recover the stolen brooch : By this time Uncle Eb Small was on his feet, liter- ally tingling with indignation. Shaking his crooked cane at Newton, he almost shouted: “Don’t you come here tryin’ to throw suspicion on either of them boys by any such a yarn as this! It’s outrageous! By jing, I’ve a good mind to give you a caning!” Newton rose with a soft, musical laugh. “My dear, sir,” he murmured in the sweetest man- ner imaginable, “I’m sorry if I’ve disturbed you to ‘such an extent. It’s evident that nothing in the world would induce,you to suspect either Sard or Newton.” “No, sir, no, sir; nothing in the world. If they was to try to prove such a thing again’ them boys I’d re- fuse to believe it unless I heard one of them make a voluntary confession.” | “Well, ’'m glad that I’m going to have such hon- est fellows for companions. I’m really glad that chance - made me acquainted with both Sand and Morton to- day.”’ He prodticed a package of cigarettes and proceeded to light one. By this time it had grown quite dark, and _by the light of the flaring match Newton’s face looked more girlish than ever. His hands also were slender and finely formed. “So yer smoke them things, do ye?” grunted Eli Given. “Well, I ruther guess Mr. Merriwell will take that out of you.” ; “So I understand,” smiled the boy, tossing aside the still glowing match. “Therefore, I’m going to smoke as much as I like to-night. To-morrow I may be un- der restrictions that will prevent.” _ He remained on the veranda some ten minutes longer, but finally rose, bade the landlord and the others good night, and entered the house. _ “Waal, what do yer think of that feller, anyhow, Eben?’ inquired Mr. Nipper. _ “T think he come precious near gettin’ a caning from Peane,” answered Small. “It was only his soft and deli- oh cate ways that kept me from patting it right onto him. _ [kind o’ felt yeep as if I was goin’ to i ah a girl, and | ‘that stopped me.’ “He does act like a girl, doesn’t he?” “Acts like one and talks like one sometimes. isten !” acon the upper part of the house came the sound Sh! WEEKLY. “Guess that comes from the boy’s room,” answered the landlord. “He got the front room aE DE over us. and the window’s open. That’s him singin’. r “Waal, wouldn’t that beat yer!’ muttered Uncle Eb. “I swan to man it wouldn’t s’prise me a blamed bit if he really was a gal! boy I ever seen.” , ‘ ss Anyhow, he’s the queerest CHAPTER VI. THE NEW BOY'S DECISION. Apparently a good night’s rest caused Ned Newton to make up his mind without further hesitation on the — question of entering Farnham Hall. Directly after breakfast the following morning he settled with Jotham Nipper and engaged an expressman to take his trunk over to the school. ib “T suppose this is my last cigarette, Mr. Nipper,” he laughed pleasantly, as he lighted one on the point of leaving the hotel. “Perhaps I might say it’s next to my last, for it’s likely that Pll smoke another while walking over to Farnham Hall.” “Waal, I stairtainly think it'll be a good thing Si: ye if you do give ‘em up,’ said the landlord. ‘You're too young an’ delicate to be spoilin’ yer health by suckin’ cigarette smoke into yer lungs.” ae “Young and delicate,” laughed Newton. “So you” fancy I’m delicate, Well, I suppose I look ea that way. So-long, landlord.” | eee He held out his hand and Jotham accepted it. A moment later the landlord’s eyes bulged from his head do you? and his face began to twist with a comical expression — rs boy had closed upon that of the man with a grip that 3 almost threatened to crush Jotham’s fingers. That strength as he shook hands with his host. “Waal, I swan to gracious!” gasped Jotham. Those red lips were puckered"in a queer sort 0 | pout, and, telling it afterward, the landlord decla TIP TOP a “T swan to gracious!” repeated Nipper, ‘as the boy : pga necenly released his “Who'd ’a’ thunk it! _ Why, you've got a reg’lar cast- -iron gtip on yer! Jest - look at them fingers. Yer’ve flattened em out and come pritty tarnal nigh weldin’ ’em together. ’Course, if I'd been expectin’ what yer was up to, you couldn't ‘a’ done it. But I never looked fer anything like that -from you. Dog my if yer ain’t an enigmy! You're a reg’lar rebus, and I can’t ‘solve ye.” _ Another laugh of amusement rippled from the lad’s hand. cats t “Why, I’m nothing but just an ordinary boy,” he replied. “Only people seem to get the impression that I'm a weakling. I suppose that’s because I’m not big and husky. I suppose it’s because I’m slender in my build, and my complexion is a bit too delicate for a boy. But you wait until I’ve been in Farnham Hall a while. You wait till I get out with the boys over there and take on a tan. You'll see a change in me. My father was a great athlete in his day, but he was the Jast man any stranger would have suspected as being athletic. Really and truly, you know, I feel that a lit- tle systematic training wil] put me ep condition to } hold my own with any ¢ chap of my age.’ _ “You ain’t more’n sixteen, be ye?” “Oh, a bit more than that,” was the’ laughing an- wer. “Good day, Mr. Nipper. I fancy I may see you occasion: Good lick to you.” i “Same £6 yerself, young feller,” returnéd Jotham, 2a who somehow felt a great deal more respect for the strange lad than he had hitherto entertained. Newton sauntered independently through the vil- oe the landlord Sy tee iene and wesc him Roe) ade ‘tells me his trunk will be sie very ¢ Here's the key to his room, the next one to whith was left vacant ee the cee made when 5 * z “f ww a fellow. right. Reeve. ee Be Ne ee ead WEEKLY. Newton tells me he made your acquaintance yesterday. Do your best to fix it So he will feel at home here with- out loss of time. Homesickness is a most unpleasant — sensation.” “Say, but he’s awfully considerate of a fellow, isn’t he?” murmured the new boy as he was descending the ; stairs with his companion. 7 stand why it is that everybody likes him. But, on my word, I should think he would be so easy that the fellows would just run over him sometimes.’’ Ralph shrugged his shoulders. “That’s where you make a mistake,” he retorted. “T know I had that feeling when I first. came here, but — I soon found out that I was wrong. His consideration _ for a fellow at the school eee come from lack of force or anything of that sort, When necessary, he can be as hard as iron and as grim and determined as the granite hills. to run contrary to the rules and regulations of the — school and keep ?t up after you've had one or two warnings from him. *I’m rather glad you’re going to have the room next to mine. Morton is right across” the corridor now. You met Morton yesterday.” cause they sides it was going to be too hot,” plained Sand. “The west wing is cooler, but. Td rather be here becatise the view is much pleasanter. . 1 suppose you'll bring a lot of rugs and ee and books and such things to fix up your room.” — ‘To you have to have a roommate?” asked Newton “Not now, I fancy,” was the answer. .“You see, a number of the fellows are permitted to room alone because the school is not overcrowded yet.” | “Well, I just wanted to know about that. I ask Mr. Merriwell yesterday if I couldn’t room by myself, and he said he thought it could be arranged that way. I think it’s much nicer to’ room alone, don’t 2 Sand?” “T don’t know,” answered Ralph slowly. Now, I wouldn't mind M orton, for he’ But there’s a feeling that he and I are tryin, to run things in ath letics, and, bet haps, it’s just as V that y we should not toom Aegis Sm ee “T’m beginning to under- If you don’t believe it, just you tty TIP TOP WEEKLY. Sand invited Ned into his room, which proved such a cozy place, with plenty of rugs and pictures and books and bric-a-brac and easy chairs and a window- seat piled high with cushions, that Newton was filled with wonderment and delight. “Never supposed they had things like this here,” he cried. “Why, this is the kind of a room I’ve dreamed about having at college!” “We're allowed to fix up our rooms to suit our- selves,’ said Sand. “We’re given enough plain fur- -nishings to make us comfortable, and then we can add whatever we like. All these extras I brought from home. You can do the same if you wish.” Newton flung himself down amid the cushions by the window. “What a jolly place to loaf and read! I’m afraid _ Td spend too ae time lounging if I had my, room _ fixed. up this way.” “You can’t spend only a certain amount of time in your room, old man,” said Ralph. “You'll be given a fixed routine of work and drills and exercises and sports, and you'll be permitted to cut nothing unless you're ill. Although it may not seem that way to out- siders, everything is conducted. systematically here. _ We're going to have a great game of eevee to-mor- / row—going to play a professional team.” “T’ve heard about that. Do you think you have a prospect of making a good showing against that team?’ - “T hope we can. I know we've got the fastest team ; I ever played on. Of course, we’re youngsters, and we may go to pieces when we find ourselves up against professionals. The Wellsburg Herald is inclined to make sport of us for venturing to play such a team. You know they’re a bit jealous of us over there 4t Wellsburg. Before this school was started they always had the champion team of the country. But Bloomfield has downed them right along. We’ve played two games out of three with Wellsburg this year, and each team has‘ taken a game. The next struggle will de- _ cide which team is the champion. If we can put up a good game against these professionals our boys will have the courage to go at Wellsburg red-hot, and I’m confident we’ll beat them next time. I believe you said yesterday that you were interested in baseball? You don’t look much like a player.” | _ “T suppose not,” admitted Newton. ‘Nobody seems fancy I look like anything but a weakling. I’ve got TY eS; “What was it?” “Why, it was about that robbery in Wellsburg.” Ralph flushed a trifle. “Oh, yes,” he nodded. affair.” ‘gern was with you that day, wasn’t he?” MV es: “That was a mighty queer i “And they suspected that either you or Morton had ee stolen the diamond brooch ?” “They suspected us,” acknowledged Ralph, with a Ae short laugh. “They even searched us. I insisted on it.’ eee “Why did you do that?” “Why? Because I proposed to establish my inno-_ cence on the spot. If they hadn’t searched us then, the - suspicion that one of us was the thief would have ~ continued. That search proved that they were onthe wrong track.” “Who stole the brooch?” “Why, that veiled girl, of course.” “What became of her?” “T think Jasper & Son would pay you a fancy fie ure if you would answer that question for them. She — vanished like a ghost. It’s a most remarkable thing» that the police of Wellsburg have been totally unable to find a trace of her. Perhaps you know that she was tracked into a hotel, and then every exit was guarded while the place was ransacked from top to bot- tom in search of her, and still they did not find her? I understand that the ee have acknowledged them- ) selves beaten on the case.’ “That girl must have been clever, ton. “I don’t see how she got away. theory, Sand ?” Ralph gave his open hands an upward toss. “I’ve puzzled over it until I’m sick of thinking about he declared. “It’s one of the biggest mysteries I’ve ever encountered. I’m afraid it never will be 4 solved. . ” murmured New- Have you any aetna to which Newton stad CHAPTER VII. THE FELLOW WITH TWO NAMES. Refers noon the ee matter etic see a fb “Hardly,” Re TOP. Frank Merriwell lost no time in seeing that it was scattered through the village and the surrounding coun- fe Accompanied by Sand and Morton, Frank met the 10: IS p. m. train and was on hand to welcome the professionals as they stepped off. There they were, eleven of them, all told, and they roved to be a rather husky- looking lot of young- Windham hastened to shake hands with Frank. _| “Here we are, Merriwell, old man,” he cried. “Big- worth, come here.” _ A tall, sandy youth answered the call. “Bigworth, this is Mr. Merriwell. Merriwell, Big- worth is our field captain.” - “How do you do, Mr. Merriwell,’ giving Frank a hard, firm hand. deal about you. I suppose you've got a team that will make us look like thirty cents, haven’t your _ going to pitch?” smiled Frank. said Bigworth, “T’ve heard a great Are you | “T shall take no part in the game.” a _ The captain of the Eurekas looked surprised and dis- - appointed. “Why, how’s that?” he inquired. _ “The boys of my school will play against you. is the captain.” _ Sand was introduced. _ Both Bigworth and Windham looked Ralph over _ doubtfully. _ “He’s a pretty young chap to be captain,” said the manager of the professionals. “I presume most of tere _ your players are older?’ “No, indeed. They are all youngsters. I thought you understood that.” - “Don’t you think you'd better go into the box against us?” suggested Bigworth. “I’ve always had a desire to see you pitch. Besides that, I’m afraid the game will be rather one-sided if we’re up against a lot of ie _ “Those kids may make you hustle some,” smiled Merry. “T’ll show you to the hotel. It’s only a few steps, and so I didn’t bother to provide carriages.” He turned and spoke to Toots, who was sitting in -Frank’s automobile near the platform. “Drive down to the hotel, Toots,” he said. “Wait for me there.” “Yes, sah. All right, sah,” said the colored boy. | A moment later he started the car “on the spark” and was off. _ Merriwell walked down the platform’ between Big- WEEKLY. worth them. “I’m.afraid the captain of that team is right, Sand, old man,” whispered Newton in Sand’s ear. ‘These fellows look as if they ought to beat us without half- trying.” Sand shrugged his shoulders. “You never can tell,” he said. surprise of their lives.” But he continued.to look and Windham, the others following behind “They may get the the players“over one by one, and it must be confessed that he felt a growing Gradually he the Eurekas them all up. slender chap, g a suit-case and a bat-bag containing two bats. apprehension over the coming gaine. dropped back, allowing the members of to pass him in order that he might size The last one of them’all was a slight, carryin At the lower end of the platform was an electric light, and this enabled Sand to get a good look at the tail- ender. . Suddenly Ralph gave an exclamation of amazement. In a twinkling the fellow at whom he was staring turned toward him and lifted a finger the same time uttering a warning hiss. “Great Scott!” breathed Ralph. “Is that you, Thorn Granton?” "fate “Hush! hush!” warned the other. “I was looking” for a chance to speak to you privately. call me Granton. You know I’ve good reasons for wishing to farget that name. team under the name of Thornton Sprague.” “Oh!” muttered Sand. right name?” “Yes, I’ve shook it for good. 2 “I don’t know that I do,” confessed Ralph. “You're — not much changed, Thorn, although you’re several years older than you were the last time I saw you. — What have you been doing?” | to his lips, at “So yon’ve dropped your Do you blame me?” — “Knocking around the world. at a number of things. “On the stage?” “Yes, I’ve been an actor.. I was out with a com- pany all last winter. Not much doing in that line summers, and so I decided to go into baseball. You know I used to be pretty good at it.” Bis “The best infielder I ever saw,” nodded Sand. how did you happen to get onto thé team?” | “Oh, I applied for a position, and, as I played with a pretty fast independent team last summer, I was ab to give references. Windham looked up my record, I was a bit late to catch on when he started out, bu fortune favored me. He bad, an unsatisfactory. I’ve tried my hand» I’ve been on the stage.” “ae Please don’t. — I'm playing with this TIP TOP as short-stop, and so he decided to give me a trial. I met him in Wellsburg last Monday. I’ve been in two games since then and signed a contract.” “Met him in Wellsburg Monday? Why, I was over there that day.” “T know it,” me all about it. Mighty queer business that, wasn’t it? said the fellow called Thorn) ‘*Wind- ham told You were mixed up in that robbery. ‘; “Indeed it was.” * “You know I came near missing Windham. got mixed up on hotels. I was at the Arlington.” “The Arlington? Why, that’s the hotel in which the mysterious veiled girl “IT know it. The police came to my room. What do you think of that? As if they expected to find that Windham discovered my name on We was last seen,” girl in my foom! the register later looking for other hotel, and he said he would have left town with- , out me if it had not been for that robbery.” yc as on. Hew me at an- Newton, walking near them, heard the most of this - conversation, although he seemed to pay little atten- tion to what they were saying. - Jotham Nipper welcomed the ball-players at thé hotel and informed them that a good hot supper was “prepared: They were shown to their rooms and found the place far better furnished than many country * ‘hotels at which they had stopped. eae. “We'll be all right here, Mr. . Wind lham, with satisfaction. © ; _. What’s the prospect for p morrow ?” “1 think the prospect is fair,’ answered Merry. pay ve distributed your advertising matter, besides doing _ some advertising of my own. seems to be, however, that we’ve bitten off more than | we can chew.” ) | A “Well, I'll hold the boys down,” whispered the man- ager of the Eurekas. “We'll try to ery the game “as eterestinig as possible.” f° ~ “Now, I wowldn’t do that,” said thrice. shaking his head. “Take my advice and let your men put up their best game. We ask no favors. It will do my boys no harm if they’re defeated by a team like yours. You know defeat is a good thing once in a while. If a team wins all the time the players become conceited They get the idea. that Pier ae better than they Merriwell,”’ “This is declared first-rate. a good crowd at the game to- The general impression WEEKLY. play baseball amazingly well, and unless they get stag , they will make you hustle to-morrow.” right, Merriwell. Of course, we but we'd like to + fright ra isp feel sure of taking the Rae you're and for factory to players and ecb E Merty bade Windham his way from the hotel he found Sand and Newton. }. in front of the dodr, © good interesting, good night and left. Toots was waiting with the car and soon they were spinning along to Farnham Hall. : The boys were dropped at Farnham gate. A Ake “Hope you're not frightened, Sand,” said Frank, with a laugh. “You've got to keep your backbone stiff, until after It’s g0- ing to be red-hot if you can make the boys play as if they were working for their lives.’ “T’ll:do my best, Mr. “Good night, sir.” Newton locked arms with Sand as they followed the i the game is over to-morrow. Merriwell,” : promised Raph long walk that led up to the school-buildings. “You met with a surprise to-night, didn’t you, ‘old fellow?” he said, with a light laugh. “Who is that cay who calls himself Sprague?’ ca “Efe comes from the same place that I did,” swered Ralph slowly. . “Of course, I could not help hearing what you were saying. How does he happen to be traveling under a fictitious name ?” . Ralph. hesitated about answering. ‘ss “Perhaps it will be just as well if I don’t say any~ thing about him, Newton,” he finally said. “He was unfortunate. He got into some trouble at home. He's never been back there, since he left.’ “He’s older than you, isn’t he?” “Yes, three years older, I think. He played on — our baseball-team before I was old enough to get 0 I know everybody regarded him as a wonder. But he was rather pee a dite f. “Ves, I think you did.” “Rather odd for a baseball-player to be traveling around Lk Se with a ee isn’t it?” ; white you aa You Hata him say that He was x ne the stage last winter, At home he was one of a cleverest amateur actors we had, him in several plays, and he was sabe goed? is cag 00 bad for such a fellow to ree ene wasn hat’s always more satib- ) ~ the road that led a | (still, and I’m inclined to do so. aie TOP “Did I say that he went wrong, Newton?” "Well, you said that he got into trouble. you don’t want to tell me, of course——” Oh, if “As far as I’m concerned, there’s no reason why I should not tell you. But Granton asked me to keep I wish you wouldn’t speak of him to any of the fellows, Newton. Between jus, old chap, I’ve been a bit wild myself. Only for my father I might have been sent to the State Re- “eh formatory. My father is a man of influence x wealth. trouble. That’s how he happened to send me here. He had an idea that Frank Merriwell might be able to do something with me, and, between us, I believe he was right. I realize now that I was a young fool, but I thought in those days that I was having lots of fun. There’s different kinds of fun, Newton. Many a chap goes wrong because he gets mixed up in a nasty scrape _ when he’s simply, trying to have fun. I’ve got a _ dickens of a temper. It’s a wonder to me that I haven’t killed somebody before this.” _ The new boy whistled in surprise. “Why, I hav en't seen any indication of such a ter- -rible temper,” he said. -_ “That’s because I’ve learned to control it. That’s _ because I’ve listened to Frank Merriwell and tried to take his advice. I made him go some when I first came to Farnham Hall. There was an Indian boy in the school at the time, and I promptly made up my mind that I’d drive the Indian out of the school.” _ “He isn’t here now.” “No; but I didn’t drive him out.” “Where is he?” ~ “Preparing for college. smartest chaps I ever and some I know I’ve caused him no end of worry and ‘ Really he’s one of the And he’s so ambitious that he works night and day. We had a fierce old oe fight once on a time. I'll never forget it. No chap _ had ever whipped Ralph Sand up to that time. But te young Joe Crowfoot was too much for him. It’s a pretty hard thing for me to admit, but I have to con- fess it. He had me groggy—yes, he had me practi- cally down and out when Lance Cowling struck him senseless with a broken baseball bat. They all thought Cowling had killed the redskin. Fortunately, Crow- foot was only stunned. Even next day there was a question.as to-whether or not his skull was fractured, knew. “There was another boy with us at the time of the Blake Ww we oe to run away we made Blake come along. stole a horse and carriage and got to Wellsburg WEEKLY. : 19 - in the night. There we caught a train and dropped off in the big North Woods. Blake was whimpering and whining with the worst case of cold feet I ever saw, but we simply dragged him along. I felt confident we'd get away sure. We took a canoe and went down Fox River. Not one of us knew anything about ee: falls, and, as a result, we went over them, although we. were close to shore at the time. Frank Merriwell had followed us and cut across by a road through the woods to stop us. He was there below the falls and managed to pull me out. Blake and ‘Cowling also Gack, Sgt Se amie ee a hr escaped, but we knew we had come within a hair's ® 7 breadth of death. “Even that did not cook me, old fellow, for I ran away again. My next experience was even more hair- lifting. Cowling stuck by me. We got to Cumber- land and were there at the regular autumn fair. was to make a balloon ascension that day, and when he was cut free I jumped for the basket of the balloon, caught it, and he helped me climb aboard as we sailed skyward. That man had heart-disease. Something went wrong with the balloon and we couldn’t get down. Night came on, and the aeronaut seemed to fall asleep. You can imagine how I felt when I tried to wake him and found he was dead.” “Jingoes!”’ breathed Ned. “‘Rather,” “That was awful!” agreed Sand. up, with the car skimming the water and me wet to the bone, until the shore was reached. Then I fell into the Only “38 hands of moonshiners and was taken for a spy. for the friendly help of a girl who was a relative — of the moonshiners, I think my goose would have been — cooked. Merriwell found me up there once more and brought me back to Farnham Hall. So you see, New- ton, I’ve been a bad nut. other chap who has also made mistakes. That’s why, Granton has my sympathy, and that’s why I'll sayy nothing about him.” CHAPTER VIII. THE EAVESDROPPER. The professionals were given permission to prac- tise on Farnham Field the following forenoon, wh they did, Sand, Morton, and several others of ‘Sia Fat arn he Hall team were able to be on hand to watch the wol Then ~ Merriwell showed up, hot on our track. An aeronaut- “I came near being — drowned in a lake, but the balloon managed to hold I can sympathize with some — “20 TIP TOP of the Eurekas. The visitors carried themselves with a certain snap, dash, and air of confidence that made their practising very interesting’ to behold. Captain Bigworth kept them on the jump from start to finish, and he hada way of running things which seemed to proclaim that he was a fellow of unquestioned author- ity on .the field. Frank Merriwell swung up to the gate in his motor- ear, and stayed long enough to watch a little of the practise work. But apparently he felt that he could not afford to spend much time in that manner, for soon he was in the car again and away. The visitors had been practising nearly an hour, when Windham called Bigworth, and saying: spoke to him, “Don’t you think the boys have had about enough, Big? You know, they have a game to play this after- noon, and it’s bad business to overpractise in the morn- ing.” The captain laughed. “If we were going up against a team that had a ghost of a show to beat us,” he retorted, “I should have stopped some time ago. It won’t make a bit of difference in this case whether we practise thirty minutes or two hours. Really, Mr. Windham, I’m al- most ashamed to go against those kids. They’ve got a splendid field here, and it’s a real satisfaction to have such an opportunity to get in some good warm practise. Don’t worry about us. soon.”’ We'll stop pretty So Windham turned away, permitting Bigworth to keep the men at it as long as he wished. Sand was talking with Morton, when he felt a pull at his elbow, and looked around to find Ned New- ton there. “Not much show for us.to beat those fellows, is there?” asked Newton. : sind elevated his, eyebrows and then frowned. “If we had a bunch of players\who felt that. way, there wouldn’t be much chance,” he answeréd rather sharply. ‘Whether we beat them or not, we’re going to do-our level best.” Newton flushed and backed away, for there had been a “‘call-down” in Sand’s words and manner. When practise was finally over, the captain of the Farnham Hall team approached, Windham, and _ in- formed him that Frank Merriwell had requested that he should show the strangers over the grounds and through the school-buildings, if they desired to look the place over. WEEKLY. A few of the Eurekas seemed inclined to do this, and Thorn Sprague was one of them. Sand performed his duty faithfully, and when the others departed for the hotel Sprague lingered behind - and accepted Ralph’s invitation to accompany him t¢ his room. They were having a private and confidential chat in that 7 room when, of’ a sudden, the Farnham, Hall lad rose to his feet, tiptoed quickly to the door, seized the knob, and yanked it open. Ned Newton fell forward into the room as the door gave way before him, making it seem as if he had been leaning agairist it. He came near sprawling at full length upon the rug, but recovered himself with an effort and sprang up, looking both astonished and confused. “Hello!” cried Sand: ‘What the dickens were you doing listening at my door?’ “Why—why, I wasn’t listening,” said Newton, a bit falteringly. “I was just going to knock. I’ve.turned my ankle, and it’s so lame I can hardly step on it. Just see how I limp.” He took a ‘step or two, limping painfully and con- torting his face as if in considerable pain. “Hurt your ankle, eh?” said Sand, with inexpress- ible scorn. “You came neat hurting your face when I opened that door so suddenly. 1 thought you were Now, let I don’t like fellows I don’t like fellows who listen at At first I rather fancied I might like you; but going to wipe up the floor with your nose. me tell you something, Newton. who eavesdrop. doors. the more I’ve seen of you the less I’ve cottoned to you. You're not my style at all) Ive done my duty, for I’ve taken you around and introduced you to the boys, and now I think I'll ask’ Mr. Merriwell to ex- cuse me from having much of anything to do with you in future. What do you suppose I care about your lame ankle? Why should you come to me about it?” “I thought you might have some wich-hazel or lini- ment of some sort which I could rub on it,” answered the new boy, in a low tone. “Do you really think I was listening at the door?’ “No, I don’t think—I know.” “Tf you're so positive, I don’t suppose it would be any good for me to deny it.”’ “Not a bit, so you may as well spare yourself the lie. I’m sorry a fellow with gumshoe habits has been given a room anywhere near me. You're naturally altogether too inquisitive to.suit me. .Now, I think you'd better pike out of here, and I'll add that you'd better stay out. There’s the door. Git!” { 1 | | } . Missional nas il ten ali” Te ee ence eee epi a ancl atk thc lie tlio la anit EE. cam ci ie oe TIP. TOP j By this time Newton betrayed signs of anger, but the _hellicose attitude of Sand caused him to retreat precipi- ‘tately as Ralph advanced. -) “You'll find out some time that you’ve made a mis- take about me,” muttered the new boy. | “I think you've found out already that you’ve made r mistake, - the other. : “Who is that chap?” like a girl. Where “T haven’t found out where he came from, but he’s found out a great deal concerning other as since he arrived here. Never knew such a chap for poking his nose into other people’s business. There’s lots of _ things about him that are mighty queer.. Never knew a boy to come here the way he did.” - “He looks harmless enough.” . Bt ne may be harmless for all I know, but he’s pees me for saying that, * retorted Ralph, as he closed the door on asked Sprague. ‘He looks did he come from?” sex. I never fancied you'd pan out the way you have. never fancied you’d go in for professional baseball.”’ , reminded the other. ‘How about “Oh, you were a great amateur actor. I remember the first time I ever saw you in a play, You took the art of ano Id woman and did it: . Faas I can Why, you were made up so Bis you louhed seventy years old, if a Beg You ye See too. There ee nodded Thorn. “I learned to knit, Say, ‘hey igs hashed their erie later EK After that Philbrook affair I fancy they thought _ end my career on the gallows. Say, but that was foolish piece of business, Sand.” pr he’d got me out As he wasn’t rich, 4 aa to take my WEEKLY, and there was no one to take I asked the manager to let me try it. At first he laughed at me. But he had to do something, and so he gave me a chance. I was always quick at committing anything, and I had her lines before it was time for the curtain to go up that night. Her clothes were just about right for me, too. Say, Ralph, I had the whole company daffy before the curtain went down in the last act. Why, they smothered me with con gratulations. They said I was the finest old lady they — had ever seen. The manager was so pleased that he almost paid me my salary. And not a soul in the audience had suspected for one moment that I was nota woman. Do you know I’m contemplating taking up the female impersonation turn next season? I be- lieve I can make a go of it.” woman was taken ill, her. part. nodded Sand. “You No one would pick you “T wouldn’t be surprised,’ certainly are a queer chap. out as a baseball-player.” “Just what Windham said when he met me in Wells- burg that day. man I ever He was the most disappointed-lgoking — saw. I know he felt T couldn’t fill the bill until after he’d seen me play a game. changed his mind. If I could do well on the stage — next season I’d cut out baseball in the summer. This — year [’vé got to follow it up in order to live. A fellow — has to live, you know.” i “Oh, of course,” nodded the Farnham Hall lad. wish you luck, Thorn, old fellow.” sure ara But don’t go back on me—don't write home about meeting me.” “Much obliged to you, Ralph “T won't.” Perhaps it’s a good It would have killed her “No one knows where I am. thing my mother is dead. 1 with shame had she been dlive at the time of the Phil- brook affair and my trial. I don’t think either my’ father or my married sister have worried over me since I was put away. I feel certain they’re relieved be- cause I’ve never shown my face at home. Well, Tl not bother them, I'll prove that I can take care of myself and get along without any of their assistance. Perhaps they think me dead. Bah! let’s not talk about it. I’ve got to get*back to the hotel for lunch, I np the Poe are easy with you ae your team this Pe’ at we could any ' wished,” . Ralph shrugged his shoulders. “Now, it’s barely possible that you're going to 1 ee a sur aay ise Setaes he tenes Then he’ — Sith: Listas i teieer sbeaalen = aceasta eee POS —o aa “TIP TOP WEEKLY. isn’t asking any favors of the Eurekas. I'll tell you now that you've got to play the game if you win.” Thorn laughed doubtfully, shook hands with Sand, and departed. CHAPTER IX. A DOUBLE WHITEWASH. At an early hour of the afternoon the people of Bloomfield began to turn their steps toward Farnham Field. Not only that, but the farmers and country _ people for miles around came riding into town, and the _baseball-field was their destination. A train brought a large crowd from Wellsburg. When Windham and his men men arrived at the field they were astonished at the gathering of spectators who packed the grand stand and the bleachers. And still more were coming. “Tt’s amazing, amazing,” the Eurekas. after reaching this little one-horse town, _ they’d been stringing me.” Frank met him at the bench. “A fairly good turnout, don’t you think ham?” he asked, with a smile, “Fairly good? It’s great! But I suppose all these people have actually come out with the idea that you stand a chance of beating us to-day. It’s a shame to muttered the manager of I fancied , Mr. Wind- disappoint them.” “Don’t let that worry you at all, Windham. You _ send your men onto the field with instructions to play _ the game for all there is in it. If you wipe up the earth with us you won't hear us kicking. I want to erence the umpire. Here he is.” _ Frank turned with a gesture e toward a huge, smooth- Bived, smiling man who stood near. i SMr. Windham, Mr. Browning,” he said. “Mr. _ Browning is one of my old college chums, who is now an assistant here at my school. He once played on the Yale team, and I know he’ll give you a square deal “T tell you, Merriwell, I’m not worrying about that,” said Windham, as he shook hands with Bruce Brown- ing. steal the game for you, even if he should try.” While practise was going on Windham was ap- proached by Ned Newton, who petted for a few w ords “They told me how it would be, but,. “T’ve no fear that your umpire will be able te rooting so tarnal soon. like that, Eli. veying the slender lad in surprise. play baseball? x eS, I can.’ 3ut you’re a member of Merriwell’s school. wearing one of his school uniforms,” “That’s all right. I’ve just entered this school, and I've decided that I’m not going to stay here.” “You've decided that you're not going Have you asked your papa about it?” “T don’t have to ask him. He can’t make me re if I make up my mind that I won’t, and I’ve made — up my mind. Ralph Sand has insulted me, and ’m going to get out. I shall leave to-morrow. Perhaps” you think I can’t play baseball, but I wish you'd give — mea trial. I’ma good infielder. I'd like to play short- — stop for you.” | = “Short-stop? Why, man for that position. Sprague.” oy es, I’ve seen him. But is he satisfactory! 2% ; “Thus far he seems to be all right. No, my boy, there’s no chance for you on the Eurekas.”’ “T’d almost play for nothing if I could get a chance © —I’d almost play for just my expenses. I’ve got to_ do something. I’ve got to get away from Farnham Hall.” “Now, you'd better shake that out of your noddle Have you told F rank Merriwell about it?” “Not yet, but + Nec “Well, he’ll take it out of you when you tell him. “T’d like to talk with Sprague. — Ter “Well, if you don’t bother him when he’s néedeta to ad taken on a new His ae 18) we've just There he is. practise.” Newton approached Sprague, and some who have pened to be near them heard him begging the fellow to quit the team, even offéring him money’ to do so. But Sprague simply anohed and pushed the little chap away, advising him to te go lie down somewhere.” ~ A few moments later Newton was seen limping from — the field, and he disappeared through the gate b which people were still seeking admission. ; The game began promptly at the hour set. Farnham Hall lads were gathered in a body, and, led by a cheer captain, they “woke things up” in earne é During a lull in the cheering, just after the local team took the field, old Uncle Eb Small rose on th lower tier of the bleachers, waved his crooked cane in the air, and shrilly cried: “Now, boys, you want to git right after these er per fessional fellers. You want to give ’em gou Don’t. you be scat of ’em. ‘You can make ‘em some, and I'll bet a chaw of tobaccer on it.” ki ae Eli Given, who had been sitting at Uncle Eb’ s side, reached up, seized the old man’s elbow, and pulled 1 down. “Hold on, Eben, Don’ t ‘sare Jest wait a while.” I sort o’ wanted to encourage. the pe said Small. “Don’t you yank me by the elb Drat | it as don’t wef, oe Ive g ” grinned Given. “Waal, leetle,” TIP TOP WEEKLY. « the rheumatics? You pulled me down and give me a erick in the back. | “Play ball!” came the call in the full, resonant voice of Bruce Browning. | Morton was behind the bat and Sand was on the ) slab. Ralph glanced around once more to make sure that all his men were in position and ready for busi- oness.. Then he took.a signal from Arthur, and a mo- ment later the game had started. ~ On the books ror the scorers the two teams were re- “corded as follows: FARNHAM. HALL, Knight, ist b. Cobb, If. Sand, f Keller, 3d b. Gage, ss. Howe, rf. Morton, ¢. Lemon, cf. Campbell, 2d b. EUREKAS, McBride, cf. Bigworth, 2d b, Harkins, lf. Trudy, rf. Lucas, Ist b. Sprague, ss. Burgher, c. Gidney, 3d b. _ Sharp, p. “McBride hit the first ball pitched. He drove it skipping along the ground between second and third base, and Gig Gage lunged for it. It was a hard ball 0 touch, yet “Gage forked it with his bare right jean held it cleanly , recovered his balance, and lined 1 across the Miasntad to Jim Knight. _ The Spal ding spanked into Knight’ s mitt whik Mc- Bride was still some distance from the sack, and Browning shoyted: “Out at first!” “Wee-ee-ee,””’ squealed Uncle Eb Small, once more obbing up like a jumping-jack and waving his crooked cane, “That’s the stuff! That’s the style! That's the way to do it! Mebbe you think them kids can’t ay at all. But if you do, you want to get it right ut of your heads.” His words were drowned by a lusty cheer from the Farnham Hall lads upon the bleachers. “Well, w hat. do you think of that? What do you hink ‘of that?” growled Bigworth, as he caught up a Phccidernt: accident,’ laughed Sprague. “Such ngs will happen occasionally, Bump it out, captain.” Hi igworth let the first two balls pass, noting that sand. had good speed and good curves,..Then he anded on the horse-hide with terrific force and drove Jong fly toward left center, ; et made a great run for the ball and pulled it ny: ain Uncle Eb Small l gave. a stato of delight and oO ited something. But this time not even a word at he uttered was heard, eachers were roaring in admiration of Lemon. Harkins, a thin, dark, hard-faced chap, wore an ex- on of confidence as he stepped forth to, follow rth at bat. He had seen the first two men hit all, and, like others of his team, he felt there was — eat deal of luck in the way both \of these parage been handled by the youngsters ab Ne 1ock the cover off, Hark,” , Ri 3 oh ie a a “text man on ‘the list. for the Farnham Hall. Cobb boy can do,” the appearance of a crane “Get us going. well take a few runs now as any time.” Harkins tried to knock the cover off, and he smashed a terrific liner at Keller, the third-baseman. It took sand for a youngster to stand up in front of that line drive, but K eller stood there and froze to the ball, although it seemed to jar him somewhat. This time Uncle Eb Small pitched head foremost out over the rail in front of him in his wild effort to jump, up and shriek again. Eli Given crawled over the rail and let himself down to the ground while yet the cheering was at its loudest. “Be ye hurt, Eben?” he asked anxiously, bending over the old man, who had ere in a sitting’ posi- tion with his back against the boarding in front of the bleachers.., “Nope, not a bit,” was the cheerful answer, come down as soft as if I’d landed on a feather bed. Great horse mackerel, wasn’t that baseball! Can’t~ them fellers play!’ Given assisted his old friend to rise, but Uncle Eb refused to return to his seat on the bleachers. 3 “Can't keep still, Eli,” he said. “If I go back there I may fall over ag’in and break my ’tarnal neck. Dm goin’ to stay right here. I’ve so I can do a jig now and then w hen the boys make — a good play.” ote And so the two old men remained on the ground » in front of the bleachers. “fF The Farnham Hall neg trotted in from the field, and every boy looked well satisfied over what had hap-— pened. Sand, took pains to compliment Gage, Lemon, — and Keller. ‘i “That’s all right, boys,” he said. “We've started _ this game right, ‘anid now all we've got to. do is keep it up. They’ve got a hitting team, it’s plain enough. I shall need just that kind of support, and if you give it to me we'll stand a chancé to win.” | | Jim Knight secured his “wagon tongue” and entered the batter’s box, . Sharp, the pitcher of the pe, seerned to. take Knight’s measure, and then he hummed the ba over the corners with such speed that the air seemed to scorch. | Twice Knight struck too slowly. The third time, however, he got his bat around quick enough and hit a erounder i in the direction of frst base. ? Lucas handled that et with ease and reached the sack ahead’ of es alt though pen was a f runner. ys “Too bad, too Bad, “ ertinted Unele Eb Stith a he’d jest. knocked. it two. feet furder away that felle never could have touched ‘it. Now let’s see what this Cobb, tall and lank, with a huge crooked nose, as he waged in a half-b position at the plate. Yin see ““Don’t hit him, Tic,” called Bur gher. : you'll break. him plumb in two.” | “Jest. ag sot to be somewhere that they did not have a snap before them. TIP = TOP. WEEKLY. clined to swing at the first two balls handed up, both of which were wide ones. Next time he did swing, but he missed. Sharp followed with a drop and Sam found it, lift- ing it high into the air. McBride came dashing i in from center and took that fly with ease. “Well, well, well,’ you think of that, Tic? they ?” Sharp was surprised, for he had fancied it would be an easy trick to strike those youngsters out. He now did his best to fan Sand, and when Ralph struck at the first two balls and missed them both, it seemed -as if the professional twirler “had him going.’ But Sand was no quitter, and next time he swung his bat he used all his cool-headed judgment in an effort to hit the ball and put it through an opening of the infield. It was one of the handsomest placed hits imaginable, for the Farnham Hall captain drove the ball squarely through the opening he had chosen and romped to first with ease. Uncle Eb Small nearly blew up with delight, while the Farnham Hall lads shrieked joyously. But Sand’s hit went for nothing, for Sharp found a victim in Keller, who was struck out on three pitched balls. The first inning was ended with a whitewash for ’ laughed Burgher. “What do 4. “he kids can hit a little, can’t both sides, but the Farnham Hall lads were the only ones to secure a clean hit. ° CHAPTER X. THE THIEF. Not until the fourth inning was over and neitler - team had scored did the E atl as wake up to the fact By this time Sand was pitching in fine form and the profes- _ sionals were finding him extremely difficult to hit. It is true that the boys’ were doing little with Tic Sharp, but still they were not afraid of him, and the visitors es meen to feel that it was time for them to get some E Bigworth urged his men to go in at once and do something, one sack. And now the visitors settled down to “play the - game,” for Sprague bunted and sacrificed Lucas to second. Then Burgher hit a hot one humming past Sand, who failed to touch it. bf Peg Campbell got into position to take the ball, but let it get through him, and Lucas romped home. © _ Burgher went to second, -. “Don’t make too many, boys,” called Bigworth : sughingly. “Don’t spoil the game right here.” “Go easy! go easy!” came from McBride; who was on Abe See cane kids are: rattled. es and Lucas started off with a fine bingle for’ Gidny put up a fly to right field, and Herbert Howe dropped it. Z Burgher went to third. Uncle Eb Small had spasms. “Great codfish!” he spluttered. “What's the mat- | ter? Be them fellers goin’ to pieces now?” Then he flourished his cane and shrieked: “Brace up there, you young clippers! foolishness and play base eball!” i Sand was aroused, and he managed to strike Sharp out. “That’s the stuff! that’s the stuff!’ Eb. “Don’t let ’em get no more runs. stop it right here.” see But McBride e, who followed Sharp, landed on the — Spalding for two sacks, scoring both Bergher and — Gidny. | Captain Bigworth tried for a Texas leaguer, but failed to get it beyond Campbell’s reach. Peg ran ~ back for the ball and took it cleanly. There was some dismay among the boys, however, for the “ney ne made three tallies in that inning. In spite of Sand’s urging, F arnham Hall seme unable to do anything with h Si 1arp’s shoots and benders, and again the home team did not score. ee When Harkins led off with a hit in the first of thee sixth, it began to look as if the visitors were deter- mined to make their lead a safe one. Harkins tried — to steal on the first ball pitched to Trudy. | Morton put the Spalding down to Campbell and Peg got his man. ‘: Then Ralph took Trudy in hand and struck him out Lucas lifted a long fly to left field, but Sam Cobb was_ “there with the goods” and Lucas’ effort oe fruit less. It was a case of one, two, three for Farnham Hall Sharp striking out two and forcing the third to pop to the infield. The seventh inning also passed with scores fon re neither side, and there were many who fancied the. game might terminate with the record 3 to o in favor of the visitors: ‘ie Sand held the Eurekas down in the first of the eighth. He was the man who led off in F Aen Hall’s half, and again he got a beautiful, clean hit. Keller Reale ane Sand en to second. Stop this squealed Uncle — Yer’ve got to. to him, and Meds was esiarst safe. Uncle Eb Small went crazy at this stage of. aan Out on the coaching-line he rushed, draggin Eli Given by the arm. “You've got ’em goin’! you've got ‘em goin’; goudy!”’ he shrieked. “Keep it up, boys, and youl win the game right here. Come on, Eli, we’re ee to do a. Tittle coaching.” VW hy don’t they put those two old lunatics off. tl field’ 2 + shouted: Harkins, from left garden, ie DIP. fOr ‘But Bigworth simply laughed and shook his head. ~ » “Never mind those two old has-beens,”’ “They'll make a he said. little fun for the crowd, perhaps.” _ “Ffas-beens! has-beens!’’ squawked Uncle Eb. _ “Mebbe we be has-beens, but we’re pretty good ones : at that. If I didn’t have no rheumatics Pd “Show you Pa trick, young feller. *Twa’n’t more’n three year ago & that I could jump up and crack my heels together three times before I spuctied the ground ag’in, and T wouldn't be s’prised if I could do it twice now. _ Gig Gage took a signal from Sand and followed Keller’s example by bunting. Sand and Keller both advanced a base while Gage was being thrown out at first. - Then Uncle Eb and Eli Given were joined by Dea- on Elnathan Hewett, who announced that he was un- able to keep his seat any longer and that he proposed to help out at their coaching. This singular trio kept up a continuous racket as the next man, Herbert Howe, came to bat. “Knock the stuffin’ out of the ball, young feller,” ed Given. Bit it on the trade-mark,” urged Deacon Hew ett. “Bet anybody a gallon of cider that he biffs it,’ said Uncle Eb. © Howe did biff it. He drove a fine single into right field, and on that hit both Sand and Keller scored. _ The Farnham Hall crowd shrieked like mad. “T told ye! 1 told ye!” yelled Uncle Eb, fairly beside himself with joy. “We're goin’ to win this game ght here, by gum!” t looked as if the old man might be right, for now rthur Morton took his turn and laced the ball far to the outfield. Howe ‘scored, but the coacher held irton at third. It was afterward agreed that Ar- "might possibly have made the run had he been t in. The tally was tied and the Eurekas were now in a eo. anxious frame of mind. c ‘But, although Sharp did his prettiest to strike out emon, the F ‘arnham Hall center-fielder lifted the bail ito the right garden. It was a wasted effort, how- for T ‘rudy held it for an put. The three old men on the coaching-line begged Pex pbell to get a hit, and Peg responded by bumping undér into the diamond. He could not run fast h to reach first, however, and the eighth inning tbsnated with the score tieds | The bees, man hit on and. eeteced to second by the one who followed. sn the next two strove hard‘to drive him home— ove in vain. Sand was pitching like old Cy Young pri He shot the Spal ding over in Rendsoine and fanned both of those men. WEEKLY. Jim tried hard for a hit, but lifted a foul back of third and was out when Gidny smothered the ball. Sam Cobb put the ball onto thé ground. “‘Sprague” fumbled. That fumble gave Cobb time to reach first. Sand singled a moment later. On that single Sam: Cobb went to third. It was evident that Sand meant to go down the line to second on the first pitched ball, and, therefore, Sharp held him close to first. Morton was coaching at third. “Careful, captain—careful,” he cried. “Don’t let - him get you there. We’re going to have this run.” Suddenly Sharp turned toward third, for Cobb had been creeping off the sack while Sand was being drivett back to first. 30th teams wore gray suits, and Sharp ase Morton for the third-baseman. He threw to Arthur, who promptly jumped aside and let the ball pass. There was.a wild uproar, for Cobb was seen racing toward home. Sharp realized what he had done, and he stamped round and round the pitcher’s plate, boiling with rage. Cobb crossed the pan with the winning run, and Farnham Hall had beaten the professionals by a score of 4 to 3. ok * * Ne * x Frank Merriwell’s touring-car was at the gate. Merry found Windham as soon as the excitement sub- sided. “Well, I must say you've got a great bunch of kids,” said the crestfallen manager of the Eurekas. . “Of course we can beat you nine times out of ten, but we weren't expecting to go up against anything like this. I congratulate you, Mr. Merriwell.” “Thank you,” said Frank quietly. “Just now there’s something more important than baseball on hand. My — “Oe car is outside here, and I'll take you back to the hotel if you’re ready to go. I wish you would call Sprague, and we'll take him along with us. I’m also going to take Sand.” oe “Why, what’s up?” asked Windham wonderingly. | “We've found the girl who stole the diamond brooch.” “You have? . Where is she?” “Come along and I'll show her to you.” pre In a few moments they were in the car. Sprague. wondered a bit that-he had been invited to accompany them, and, when the sar had started, he turned a bit — anxiously to Sand anc asked what it meant. re Ralph shook his head, confessing that he did not know. ig They reached the hotel and mounted the stairs, Frank Merriwell leading the way. At the door of a: room — Frank stopped and turned to face Sprague. he, inquired. im was the balers apes “This is your room, isn’t it?” “Yes, that’s my room,” ting answer. : ore the three old fellows on the coaching-lin es | P as Knight ae to the Boo a 26 TEP.-fOP a Then the door was opened and Sprague was forced into that room. Within the room sat a person in the garments of the young girl, wearing a heavy veil over her face. She rose at once and, faced them. Sprague stopped and fell back a step, gasping with astonishment. Windham, who had followed them, uttered a shout. “That’s her! that’s her!” he cried. “By Jove, that’s the very girl!” palpitated Sand, The girl herself betrayed no signs of agitation. “Granton,” said Frank, addressing Sprague, “did you ever. see the clothes worn by this person? Do you know anything about them?” The fellow choked and stammered, pale. j “Why, what do you mean by asking him such a question, Mr. Merriwell?” demanded Windham. “Does he know anything about that girl?” “Granton,” said Frank, “tell us how you happened to have those clothes in your trank. They were féund there,” “T don’t know anything about them,” faltered the wretched fellow. “I don’t know what. you mean by treating me this way.’ “It’s useless to lie,” said Frank quietly. “I’m sorry for you, my boy, but youd better produce that stolen diamond brooch. We've been unable to find it among your possessions here, although we found the garments you wore that day you stole the brooch.” “The day he stole the brooch!” uttered Windham. “How could he steal the brooch? There’s the girl who did it.” *“No,”’ said Frank, “that’s not the person who did it. We simply had this person put on those clothes in order to confront Sprague, or Granton, which is his proper name. Lift your veil, please.” This request was addressed to the “girl.” Imme- diately the veil was lifted and the face of Ned New- ton was revealed. “Newton! Newton!” breathed Sand, who was now doubly confused, , “That’s the name he gave here in Bloomfield,’ nodded Frank, “‘but his real name is Fred Ferris, and he’s one of the cleverest young detectives in the busi- ness. The Wellsburg chief of police called on him to clear up this case. He came here to Bloomfield for that purpose. Although I told him I was absolutely certain neither Sand nor Arthur Morton had stolen the brooch, he was not satisfied, and I took him into the school that he might have the chance he demanded of watching them.” “I beg your pardon, Sand,” said the youthful de- tective, with a laugh. “I acknowledge that I was on the wrong trail, but I picked up the right one when this chap Sprague come here with the Eurekas. I began to suspect him last night when you met him at the station. I’ve been pretty busy to-day. You caught me listening at your door. I thought I might hear something of importance pass between you and your his face deathly WEEKLY, friend. I call him your friend, for you were willing to. protect him in spite of his record. You knew this fellow had committed arson in seeking revenge upon a man he fancied had injured him. You knew he had been.sent up for a year for that crime. Still, 1 do not blame you for shielding him, as he doubtless led you to believe that he had reformed and meant to walk the straight and narrow path in future, I was more than half inclined to believe I might find these clothes in his trunk, and that’s why I came here and demanded admission to this room while the game was in progress. I’m disappointed in failing to find the stolen brooch, but I’m satisfied that Granton, realizing the folly of any other action, will give it up at once. ” And now Granton faced them with desperate defi- ance, crying: “Tt’s a put-up job! It’s all a lie! I never stole the brooch! I don’t know anything about it!” Newton, who had flung aside the hat and veil, whistled sharply. Immediately an officer, wearing a badge, appeared in the doorway and entered, followed by Tack Jasper. “Here’s your man, Perkins,” said the detective, pointing to Granton. “He refuses to give up the brooch, but I think he’ll change his mind under pres- sure.’ At the sight of the officer's shield Granton collapsed. He dro pped upon a chair, cov ering his face with his’ and uttering a groan. he said huskily. “Til give up. Ive got it on my person now. I don’t know why I stole it. It was a fool thing to do. [ve always been a fool! I was a fool when I wore those clothes in Wells- burg that day, but I started out for a lark. I thought it would be a little sport and diversion while I was waiting for Windham. I saw my opportunjty to hands It’s no use!” steal the brooch in the jewelry store,'and I took it. Pm sorry! I’m sorry!” “And I’m sorry, too,” said Frank Merriwell, “Tl do whatever I can for you, my boy; and let us hope the judge will be lenient.” THE END. The Next Number (638) Will Contain Frank Merriwell’s Steadying Hand; OR, THE TEST OF MANHOOD. The Tramps and the Boy—Old Billy’s Story--In a Trap —A Tragedy of the Night—The Friend at Bloom- : . field—The Boy’s Promise—The Phantom—Tne Bit- ter Truth—The Sneak—Proof—Jake, the Yexg © ‘The Flight of a Coward. “pe. us ~ Beane Am ao 4 4) ee Pi Lule. Lost On the Plains. By EDWARD MINTURN. Those who have not ridden, as I have, day after day over the great plains of the far, far West, where not a tree meets your eye, though you scan the circling horizon ever so closely, can scarcely imagine the ‘danger to which a traveler may be exposed, who, without a compass, in cloudy weather, may stray away from @ camp or a train with which he may be traveling. The following incident occurted to me many years ago, before I had learned many a matter of wood and prairie craft, which, now knowing, make me at home there in all weathers and at all times. I was going to Santa Fé with a new acquaintance, F. X. Au- brey, the great trader. We had been out from St. Joe ten or twelve days—his train, divided into three sections, about a half-day apart in travel, so that the stock would have good grass. at each stopping-place and get along all the faster for the division into similar columns. One morning, being with the middle section, I took it into my head, as it was brght and fair, to go on and join those who were in front. So with my tin cup at my saddle-skirt, and a cold bite in my haversack, I started on at a lope, expecting long before night to reach the wagons ahead. The trail was plain, the air fresh and bracing, and my horse in prime order. We had seen no hostile Indians—in truth, our route was not ‘Supposed to be at all endangered by them then, in consequence of recent treaties, etc. So I left my heavy rifle, and. with only a light revolver in my belt, dashed away. _ For three hours I rode along through the buffalo-grass, avoid- ing the branches of cactus which were plentifully sprinkled about the plains, and had begun to look ahead often and expectantly to see the white tops of the wagons whose tracks were becoming fresher to the eye every mile. A sudden rumble of distant thunder called my attention, and looking off to the northwest I saw a black mass of clouds coming up with strange rapidity. I had heard the traders talk of these sudden storms on the plains—outrivaling those which sweep the ocean, and now I was to witness and feel the effects of one. Never did I see change come over a sky more swiftly. In a little while an almost ebony darkness obscured the sky. While loud thunder fairly shook the earth and made the air tremulous with its deafening vibrations, the wind moaned and soughed over the wide plains, as if it grieved at being rent from its mountain Caves so far away. Then came pelting, driving rain, and, almost blinded, I sought to move forward on the trail. At last, when I could not see a track, I halted, dismounted, and, drawing my blanket about’ me, Waited for the storm to cease. I held my horse by the bridle-rein, not dreaming that he would try to leave me. But he was of the treacherous mustang breed, and suddenly, with only a startling peal of thunder for an ap- Parent cause, he broke away, and in an instant was out of sight and. hearing. What could I do? I could not follow, for I knew not which Way he had gone. When the storm passed by the sun was yet two hours high, and I thought by my memory of its position I could at once resume my course, and, finding the trail, press on /even on foot until I overtook the leading train, where most likely I would find my missing horse. But I looked in vain for the trail. To and fro, this way and that, crossing the direction as I thought, but lower and lower Sank the sun, and yet the trail was not discovered, nor even a Sign of my treacherous mustang. A night alone on the prairie, with my blanket around me, was hoé so terrible, so I lay down and slept an uneasy, dream- troubled slumber. Dawn came, and once more I commenced my journey. I ©) Was not’ used to walking; my feet were tender and my heart was, Yvéty heavy. r Hoping and believing that I was taking a right course, I i staggered on. “ 27, WEEKLY. The sun went higher and ‘higher, the air became hot and heavy, I was fearfully thirsty, but not a drop of water could I now find, for I was moving over a succession of sandy tidges that seemed to have drunk up all the water which had fallen on the day before. On I staggered, looking from every elevation for some sign of life, and seeing nothing but an antelope here and there which went from me as if lifted on the wind when I came near. Why must I prolong, even in memory, the horrors of that part of my life? I lived a year in forty-eight hours—and then, almost dead, in truth the agony of death could not be greater than I had endured, I was picked up by men sent in search of me after my horse had got to the train, dragging his bridle-rein, which told the old traders .bat he had broken from me. It was a hard tria,, and, though I was young, it plowed fur- rows in my brow which are there yet. ————_——_ > @-+ WHERE EVERY ONE SKATES. Skating is a business with the Chinaman rather than a sport, for he contrives to turn the frozen canals into convenient high- ways for his merchandise, as they do in Holland and Denmark. Passengers are carried in sledge-chairs, propelled by an active Celestial on skates, and there is no more enjoyable way of making a tour round’ the seventeen miles of wall which en- circles the ancient city of Pekin than in a sledge of this descrip- tion. The canals afford facilities for locomotion which are not to be found in the dirty streets, crowded as they are with over- worked humanity. It is not likely that the Celestials will ever astonish the world, for they do not aim at great speed of progression, but they are, nevertheless, fairly ‘qualified adepts in their way. Some efforts have been made to introduce ice-yachts out there, which would indeed be a grand thing, not only for sport, but for the trans- port of. goods at a time when all traffic is practically at a stand- still, owing to the impassable condition of the wretched cause- ways which do duty in China for highroads. There are over seventy miles of the Peiho annually covered with ice several feet thick, bank to bank, extending from Tung- Chau, the port of Peking, to the mouth of the river at Taku, m the Gulf of Pechili. What a noble race-course this would form for our skaters! It is not commonly known that, the capital of China is ice- bound for five months out of the twelve, or that the stolid-look- ing Chinese could ever be graceful skaters; yet both these facts are well established. The Chinese use a very inferior style of skate of their own manufacture—a mere chunk of wood ar- ranged to tie on the shoe, and shod with a rather broad strip of iron. There is no attempt at elegance of design or at any- thing approaching a spring fastening. : : A pair of all steel skates when shown by the writer to some native students ity the Chinese capital produced unbounded aston- ishment and admiration by their neatness and strength. On the other hand, the cheapness and simplicity of the common native- made article tend to make skating general among the male ele- ment. FORCE FROM WATERFALLS. The highest fall of water ever used for powers appears to be that of Lake Brusio, in Switzerland, where is located the most powerful electricity_generating station in all Europe. The water of the Poshiavino, in the Poschiavo Valley, is led through a great conduit, three miles long, to the reservoir, from which five sets of enormous pipes conduct it ‘to the power station at a level of 1,280 feet lower. Electric energy of 36,000 horse-power is dis- tributed from the generators to points along the shores of Lake Como and Maggiore, and as far as the great plain of Milan. CARGOES SAILORS DON’T LIKE. “Sugar, pine-lumber, and coffee is' three cargoes what oughter never be carried,” said the sailor. “They put a shellback off his food. They make him wuss’n seasick. A pine cargo soaks the ship and its contents in turpentine-smells, so that the very drink- ing-water tastes as if there was rosin in it. Sugar cargoes fer- ment, and the fumes comin’ day and night from the hold causes the worst headache you can think of. “But coffee is the worst of all. A coffee cargo gives the ship’s meat, its bread, and even its tea a sickenin’ coffee-taste.” SEP 8 i y Mh a can duth sia ga prea cenanomaanapep liens epee mmepeeens area pennant neaneoap santana ieee NEW YORK, June 27, 1908. TERMS TO TIP TOP WEEKLY MAIL SUBSCRIBERS. (Postage Free.) Single Copies or Back Numbers, 5c. Each. SeMONDS , ono. es dae cen eu aneune OG. } (OMe Gar ects aay tees TES, $2.50 BARON UNS nikihi cbwdp scewe cn as 85e. 2 copies one year.....se..322: 4.00 SURMMOUD isndwdivacerenecet eer 81:25 lL.copy two years.............. 4.00 How to Send Money—By post-office or express money order, registered letter, bank chyck or draft, at our risk. At your own risk if sent by currency, coin, or postage stamps in ordinary letter. Receipts—Receipt of your remittance is acknowledged by proper change of number on your label. If not correct you have not been properly credited, and should let us know at once. STREET & SMITH, Publishers, 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York City. Ormonp G. Suntu, Gerorcs C. Smitu, ' Proprietors. TIP TOP ROLL OF HONOR. Following the suggestion of Mr. Burt L. Standish, that appeared in his letter to Tip Top readers in No, 480, the following loyal Tip Toppers have won for themselves a place on our Honor Roll for their efforts to increase the circulation of the King of Weeklies, Get inline, boys and girls, and strive to have your name at the head of the list, Chas. L. Beck, Nebraska, Julius Kalmin, Philadelphia, Pa. Alfred M. LeMoyne, Brooklyn, N. Y. Grover A. D. Hill, Ohio. A. Raymond Kluseman, Kansas. J. H. Park, Jr., Texas. A. W. Allen, Texas. Robert J. Collum, Mississippi. Harold Paul Cauldwell, Indiana. Marx H. Schonour, Penn. The names of other enthusiastic Tip Toppers will be added from time to time, Send in the result of your efforts to push the circula- tion of your favorite weekly and win a place on the Roll of Honor. APPLAUSE. Owing to the number of letters received, the editot of Tip Top cannot tindertake to secure theit publication undet six weeks. Those who conttibute to this department must not expect to see them before that time, SPECIAL, NOTICE—There has been\ such a continuous call for the series of Tip Top postcards which we issued about two years ago, that we have reprinted the set, and any boy who writes us, telling why he loves Tip Top, and what the magazine has done for him, as well as what he is doing to increase its circulation, will, upon request, receive a set of these fine cards free by mail. Write early, as the supply is limited, and may not last long, and he very sure to address your letter ‘‘Tip Top Weekly. Post Card Offer,” (A letter from Washington.) ‘As we have been taking the “Tip Top” for six months, I thought I would take the privilege of writing to the column. We think a great deal of it. Mr. Standish is surely a great writer to publish such a. fine weekly. I am glad Chester re- formed. J hope Dick marries June Arlington. Dick and Frank are surely two great characters.. I like to read about Joe Crow- foot and Dick’s chums, My favorites are as follows: Dick, Chet, TIP. TOR WEEKLY. Frank, and Brad. If Dick or Frank Merriwell ever go West, I wish they would stop off here ‘a few days. Wishing. long life to “Tip Top” and Burt L. Standish, I remain, a faithful “Tip Topper.” PAUL CIEILS. Thanks. It would doubtless afford the Merriwells great plea- sure to enjoy the hospitality of your home town at some future day. (A letter from Arkansas.) Will you admit a reader to your Applause column, from the Bear State, down where, it has been said, they go barefoot the year round, seldom wash, never shave, and are web-footed; but we have brains enough to know that “Tip Top” is the best naga- zine published for boys in America or any other continent. ‘This is a small place, and therefore we can’t get “Tip Top” here, but we (my chums and I) have our “Tip Tops” sent from a larger town. I am deeply interested in Dick’s career, also Frank’s, I have just finished the latest “Tip Top,” and I think the new covers are grand. I have read “Tip Top” for over five years, and it has done me more good than 100 other magazines. I was addicted to the tobacco habit, but through the moral talks of Dick and Frank J have abstained from it, We treasure “Tip Top” next to the Bible in our home. I will close by asking for a Medal and “Tip Top” catalogue. A Royal “Tip Topper.” Cart G. Howry. A very welcome letter, and along the line of those whose coming never tires us, since they tell us that the mission of “Tip Top” is being crowned with success in every State of the Union. ; Though I have been reading “Tip Top Weekly” ever since the first number was published, this is my first attempt to write to the Applause department, and I write this more as an ap- peal for that little girl who seems to have faded slowly away from the pages of the “Tip Top,’ namely, Doris, Dick’s first sweetheart. Somehow it seems as if Doris had been slighted of late, and I appeal to the Dorisites to rise up and make the wires hot with their correspondence. Rear up, ye old readers, and let us hear from you. You hayen’t surely forgotten our friend Doris, have you? I am sure it will bring back the old times to again have her meet Dick. I hope that-she will at least have an equal chance with the other girls. As to my appreciation for “Tip Top,’ I can only say this— they don’t come often enough. Trusting that this will not be consigned to the waste-basket, and hoping that our little friend Doris will mot be entirely for- gotten, I am, A Loyat Dorisire FroM MICHIGAN, Muskegon, Mich. Well, when does the Deluge begin? T am writing a second letter to the Applause column. I must say that I have more than fifty friends who read the “Tip Top” after I have finished. Mr. Standish has a way of writing that every boy will like to read. My friends of the Weekly are: Dick, Brad, Hodge, and Ready, and of the girls I like June, Inza, Elsa, and Doris. I must say that the “Tip Top” has reformed many a person, and I can recommend the little magazine highly. I only wish the German boys could read it. Three cheers for Burt L. and Street & Smith. I remain; ARTHUR CUNNINGHAM, Dresdner Bank, Dresden, Germany. We, too, wish they could, friend, but alas, there is no German edition for them, (A letter from Nebraska.) Why do I love “Tip Top”? ‘Well, now, that is a very strange question to put to “Tip Top” readers. a few words—it is simply far and away the best of its classe) no, hold on, it is in a class all by its lonesome, for no other ~ And many’ numbers are £% weekly comes within a mile of it. equal to any literature that ever came before my eyes, and Tye read vast numbers of books called “masterpieces.” “Tip Top’ is entertaining, instructive, helpful, amusing, pure in’ moral tone, and shows the inevitable result of vices galore, thus tending Because—to sum it wp inf” 3 inte Sige Sage eee i; z ; oma) ol arses a 4 ie : May: 4 rot ve: rie ae a t ay ate 7 ee reg na ag sh Tq a a . 1 : ie ngs q { 5 pee ae — be», Pe as ety he, ‘are all “Tip Top” / Your letter has the true ring of earnestness, “ya liberty with your name. @ 48 because heis a Texan; m who wrote ag ‘affection for him, 4 en: Sie account of Captain ¥ *, Brad is thick and thin. LIB FOR to keep many, many boys from. going to the “bowwows” pletely. What has it done for me? Well, that is a trifle to answer. It has helped me while away many caused me many a hearty laugh, and has made of my own faults and weaknesses and to try com- harder for me an hour; it has me realize many to overcome some of them. To be sure, I have not succeeded so well as I might wish, but I keep saying, I’ try, and try, and txy again, until I have remodeled myself to .a little nearer perfection, though I never expect to equal Dick Merriwell; and, in fact, I don’t believe there ever will be his equal outside of fiction. At one time I hated Chester Arlington, but after he began to try to reform, I grew to love that character more than any in “Tip Top.” Though Arlington’s principal vices—namely, drinking, smoking, and gambling—do not appeal to me at all, and they are no temptations to me, still, I realize that in many ways my nature is very much like Chester’s. Hence I grew to be inter- ested in him especially, and Be fight for manhood. What have I done for “Tip Top’? Well, as I have told be- new readers of all e are only two—and familiar to many existence of, such introduced it th ma ny, matiy ages and sexes—of which last I believe ther made the names of Frank and Dick Merriwell minds that until recently never knew of the noble, upright American youths. Well, that is en ugh fuel for w a tiger for Burt, S. and S., and T. T. fore, I have aste-basket, so 3x3 cheers and Cuas. L. BEcxK. Here is a lad who knows the sterling value of all that “Tip Top” represents, since he has. profited by the, teaching of the Merriwells in times past. We feel certain that he more than deserves to see his name at the head of those whom “Tip Top” delights to honor. I have been a constant reader of the “Tip Top Weekly” for the past three years; when I started to read them at first my parents objected to it, but after | had coaxed my two brothers into’ reading one, then they read another and another, and so my father asked me what the story was about. After I got through explaining to him the ins and outs of the story, and showing him the different characters, explaining each and évéry one as we went along, he said it was a clean and good story for the Arietta boy to read, and he said it would teach as much as the American history would teach you, What he liked best was the way Mr. Standish would explain the games that the boys would take part in. I have become acquainted with a fine set of boys, and they would keep on kidding me about reading the “Tip Top” stories, but after I Went to the trouble of explaining to them, they agreed that I Was tight, and started to read “Tip Top” themselves. Finally an idea came into my mind to organize a club, which I did, and We have twenty-five members, and I am proud to say that we readers, I will close by wishing all the good characters in the “Tip Top Weekly” a long and happy life, and three cheers for Burt L. Standish and Street & Sith, and hoping that this letter will miss the waste-basket, I am, a con- Stant reader, Juntius KALMIN, Philadelphia, Pa. President of the Aquila Club. The request mentianed in your postscript has been attended to. and we are taking Well, this makes about the fourth year I have been following the heroes with their chums through thick and thin. Frank Merriwell’s school is all right, and furnishes a wide field for Burt L. to show his best talent. All the characters of “Tip Top” are good, but foremost of all in my heart is Brad Buckhart, the Unbranded Maverick of the Rio Pecos, You may suppose it well, that’s part of it. But the fellows against Brad some time ago only clinched my Next comes Frank, with his chums, Bart Hodge, Dade Mor- Ban, Dick Starbright, Rattles, Diamond, Mulloy. I read the Wiley’s death in the baseball guide, Of Dick's crowd I like Jones, Claxton, Tucker, and Bigelow. Would ‘like to hear from more Texans in the Apy ee L will close with threé: cheers and a tiger for Brad Buckhart. _ooper, Tex Texas Kip. a true friend of Dick’s, to be depended upon through WEEKLY. 29 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, EDITED BY PROF. FOURMEN. 7 NOTICE—So many inquiries reach us each week concerning the various manuals on athletic development, which we publish, that we have decided to keep a list of them at the head of this department. Any number can be had by mail by remitting ro cents, and 3 cents postage, for each copy, to the publishers. FRANK MERRIWELL’S BOOK OF PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, THE ART OF BOXING AND SELF-DEFENSE, by Prof. Donavan. U. S. ARMY PHYSICAL EXERCISES, revised by Prof. Donavan, PHYSICAL HEALTH CULTURE, 8 by Prof. Fourmen, Pror. FourMen: Following are my measurements. Would like your opinion of them: Age, 16 years; height, 5 feet 2% ounds ; neck, 13 inches; biceps, ; inches; _chest,, normal, » 30 9 inches; flexed, 10% waist, 29 inches; thigh, 17 inches; shoulders, 16 inches. I take deep- breathing exercise every morning in the fresh air. I go in for all -outdpor sports, but especially like baseball, football, and hockey. Hoping to see this in print in the near future, J remain, Duluth, Minn. W. L: O. You are not far from being physically perfect, and by a con- tinuance of your good work, I do not doubt but that you will presently get there. f inches; weight, 95 p¢ inches; expanded, 33 inches; forearm, 934 inches calves, I2 inches; across (A letter from Massachusetts.) Pror. FourMEN: Having been a reader of the “Tip Top” for the last three years, I take the liberty to ask you a few ques- Please give your opinion of my me asurements. Age, 15 years; height, 6 feet 2 inches; weight, in street clothes, 149}2 pounds; neck, 13% inches; waist, 33/2 imches; chest, normal, 34 inches; expanded, 12.inches. tions. 36 inches; reach, 30 inches; calves, Thanking you beforehand, and hoping to see my letter in. print, I remain, yours truly, W. G. RockKweELt. You are enormously tall for your age, friend, and it is up to you to harden your flesh and pick up quite some inches in lung- capacity. I keep harping on this latter, because it is a very essential point, and the eboy starts handicapped in life who has small or weak lungs. I trust that with constant physical exer- cise, good food, and habits, as the roll around you may develop into a splendid young man, morally, mentally, and physically, clean years (A letter from Indiana.) Pror, FourMeN: Having read the famous “Tip. Top” for about five years, I take pleasure’'in asking these questions. Age, 18 years 8 months; height, 5 feet 9 inches; weight, 155 pounds; neck, I5 inches; C inches. I eat “Puffed Rice” and milk every morning. Is it good for me? When I run about two or three blocks I get a pain below my heart. I have very weak ankles; they turn in when I. walk. How ean I strengthen them? Thanking you beforehand, I remain, a faithful “Tip Topper,” Chicago, Il. Jounny Evers. Johnny, you -have grown like a weed, and lack many pounds in’ weight, as. well as inches in chest circumference. You Good The article diet. Drink plenty of milk or chocolate. You should get the ® ankle-braces baseball-players use. (A letter from Illinois.) Pror. FourMEN: Having read the famous “Tip Top” for six years, I take the liberty to send you my measurements. They Ware: Left thigh, 234 inches; right thigh, 2334 inches; left calf, fe 1434 inches; right calf, 147g inches; height, 5 feet 944 inches; weight, [177 pounds; S tight wrist, 7 inches; waist, 38 inches; chest, 40 inches; ex- m panded, 41% inches; contracted, 3714 inches; left forearm, 117% neck, 1514 inches; left wrist; 7 inches; WEEKLY. 31 inches; right forearm, 1134 inches; left arm, 12%4 inches; right arm, 1234 inches; age, 15 years 7 months.’ Will you please tell me my weak points, and my strong ones? Wishing success and long life to “Tip Top,’ I remain, LesTER GRANART. You are 20 pounds overweight, and this shows badly in the girth of your waist, which should be 29 inches instead of 38. Unless you reduce this considerably, you can never hope to succeed as an athlete. Your ling capacity is up to the average. Pror. FourMEeN: Being a reader of the “Tip Top,” I take the liberty to ask you a few questions. I am 12 years of age, and my record for the high jump is 3 feet eight inches. I am rather stout.’ Please tell me how to reduce weight. I have a chum who would like to be a runner. Tell him what to do to im- prove. Joun CLEMENT, Philadelphia, Pa. You can reduce your weight by training-methods;* éating less fattening foods, and putting in a little less time in sleep, J# your chum is naturally cut out for a runner, all he requires is constant and persistent practise to become proficient in that line. Pror. FourMEN: Please show my weak and strong points. My measurements are: Neck, 13 inches; shoulder, 16 inches; chest, 31 inches; expanded, 32% inches; biceps, 9 inches ;.ex- panded, 11 inches; forearm, 10 inches; wrist, 7 inches; waist, 29 inches; hips, 33 inches; thighs, 18 inches;. calf, 13 inches; height, stocking feet, 5 feet 2/2 inches; weight, stripped; 115 pounds; age, 14 years. What do you think I am best build for? Brooklyn, N, Y. FRANK 'PERILL. Weight to pounds in excess, chest just about right. Your buiid would allow you to enter almost any field of athletic endeavor with a fair show of success. Go in and do something fine, Frank. (908—TIP TOP BASEBALL TOURNAMENT IS N OW OPEN, working for, boys? The two teams which, at the end of the season, have the highest average—the members of which play the greatest number of games, score the most runs and haye lost the least number of games, will be declared the winners. Of the two winning teams, the one having the higher average will be declared the TIP TOP CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM OF THE ALL-AMERICAN BASEBALL TOURNAMENT FOR 1908, and will receive a beautiful silk pennant bearing a suitable device. equipment, consisting of trousers, shirt, stockings,“shoes and cap for nine members. DON’T FAIL TO SEND IN YOUR COUPON AT ONCE. « : No notice taken of any score not entered on this coupon. Bach winning team will receive a full Is this not worth Coupons must be properly made out, one for each game. NAMES OF TEAM. COCKE OHO ETHER RETO EMRE SR OME H Oe HOMER ER ER EERE EEEEERG BHO EEME LOOSE ENE Hae FEROS RETR FREE E HERE HHH ena e en enee SPOR eee COMBE sSeusEe Hae eee CORREO HCC O EH SMH EH ROR HEE HH wen en wer em newer snwene eam One rR eH eee CUNO Owen EOS EERE R ewe Ren Ree PERE RO tee rene nee tee ewe ese wenemeags ewe h os Oke RARER ER OR ROE eee wera wee seaman eee ee ee eae On enawne COR e eer ewe nw es cet eat sete Re RE SHE eee eee Oe eae e ede ha en aeenseees 1908—TIP TOP BASEBALL TOURNAMENT COUPON. 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