appened that Tad Jones, a village lad who was very well known
to Frank Merriwell, was the nephew of the coquettish widow, and the
widow made her home with Tad's father and mother.

Tad was a lively youngster, who liked fun, and, in more ways than one,
he was "a thorn in the flesh" unto his aunt.

One day he succeeded in seeing Frank, whom he informed that he had put
up another joke on his Aunt Nancy.

"I've been imertatin' her handwritin' lately," said Tad, "and I've got
so I can scrawl jest like her. Old Scotch and Jenks ain't never run
onto each other at our house, but I've fixed it."

Tad grinned gleefully, as he made this declaration.

"Fixed it, how?" asked Frank.

"Why, I writ 'em both a letter, askin' 'em to call to-night at eight
o'clock, and I signed Nancy's name. I made the letters jest a little
spooney, but not too much so. I'll bet they'll be tickled to death,
and they'll come sure."

"And meet there?"

"Yep."

"There's liable to be trouble."

"That's what we're lookin' for," chuckled the fun-loving youngster.
"Oh, if they'd jest fight!"

"I'd like to see the circus."

"Come on over."

"I don't know as I can get away. I will come if I can."

"All right. Bring along any of the fellers."

That night Frank found a way to get leave to go to the village, and
Hans, whom he had told of the coming "racket," escaped from the
building and joined him outside the grounds. Together they went over
to the village, and called on Tad Jones.

Tad was waiting for them, and he straightway smuggled them into the
house.

"Aunt Nancy's expectin' Professor Jenks to call," he gleefully
whispered. "I told her that I saw him, and he said he'd be here
to-night, so she's frizzled and primped to receive him."

"You'll get into a scrape," said Frank.

"I don't care for that, if I can see some fun. Come right into the
parlor, and we'll all hide. Aunt's up in her room, layin' on the
finishin' touches."

Into the parlor they slipped. A fire was burning in the old-fashioned
open fireplace, and it was plain that Mrs. Cobb had "spruced things up"
to receive company.

"Two of us can git behind the organ in the corner here," said Tad.
"The other feller can hide under the sofa."

As the sofa was a long, old-fashioned affair, and any one hidden
beneath it could command a view of the entire room, Frank decided to
conceal himself there.

This was barely settled when there came a sharp rap on the door.

"Git