ell seemed very sincere, and Frank said:

"Thank you. I am glad to know you do not believe such a thing possible
of me. Still, I shall not come."

"Oh, yes you will!" laughed Wat. "It can't be that you're afraid of
being caught. If anybody says so, I'll swear I know better. You have
nerve enough not to care for that. Come around to-night. We'll look
for you."

Snell hurried away, knowing full well that he had said things which
must worry Merriwell, if they did not drive him into coming to the
midnight card parties.

Wat was right. Frank was worried not a little, for he could not bear
to fancy that some of the boys thought him mean in staying away. Hodge
saw Merriwell was troubled, but the dark-haired boy remained silent.

In the meantime, finding Hodge would do nothing to bring Merriwell
round. Gage and Snell tried their best to make friends with Hans
Dunnerwust and Barney Mulloy, as these boys were particular friends of
Merriwell's, and might be induced to use some influence over him.

Barney, however, was wary. He did not fancy either Gage or Snell, and
he repulsed their advances.

To Hans, the temptation of a midnight supper on cakes and pies was too
much to resist, and he was added to the circle that gathered in the
room of the suicide.

Hans could play poker, and the game being made small enough to suit
him, he came in and won about two dollars, which made him swell up like
a toad, and declared:

"Uf you poys know some games vot I can play petter as dot boker, shust
you name him, und I vill do you at dot. Oh, I vose a dandy on trucks,
ain'd it? Shust keep your eye on me, und I vill learn some tricks vot
you don'd know alretty yet."

Snell did his best to make Hans believe he was a great favorite, and
then he told him how Frank had won the only time he had appeared in the
game, and had never come around since.

"Some of the fellows seem to think he is afraid I will win the money
back," said Wat; "but I don't take any stock in that, for Merriwell's
not that kind of a fellow. Still, I don't like to have such ideas
concerning him get into circulation."

"Dot vos vere I vos righdt," nodded Hans. "He don't peen dot kindt uf
a feller ad all, you pet me my shirt! Dot Vrankie Merrivell vos a
taisy, undt he don'd peen afrait a show to gif anypody. You vait till
I tell him vot dose fellers say. I pet me your life he vill gome
aroundt bretty kuveek righdt avay."

"Oh, don't say anything about