r old friends from the Southwest. Why do you not make an effort now
to get them here?"

Frank gave a little start, and then smiled thoughtfully.

"I will think it over, Inza," he said.

Early the next morning Frank sent out a number of telegrams to his old
friends. To these telegrams he received replies in the course of the
next twenty-four hours.

And thus it came to pass that the pilgrimage to Merry Home began.

Several days later, in a parlor car of the eastbound express were four
young people who had traveled far. They were Ephraim Gallup; his wife,
Teresa; Barney Mulloy, and a charming and vivacious Spanish girl,
Juanita Garcia, Teresa's bosom friend. The men were old friends of Frank
Merriwell.

All wore sensible traveling suits, and, in spite of the long journey,
they appeared to be little fatigued. There was an expression of
eagerness and impatience on the face of Gallup, and Mulloy seemed in a
similar mood.

"By gum, we're gittin' back into God's country ag'in!" exclaimed the
lanky Vermonter. "Arter bein' buried down there in Mexico so long it
seems jest like heaven."

"Do they be afther callin' this a fast expriss?" burst from Mulloy.
"Faith, but it crawls loike a shnail, so it does. Will we iver reach
Bloomfield? It's itchin' Oi am to put me hands on Frankie Merriwell."

"Eet ees so glad I shall also be to see Senyor Merriwell," laughed
Teresa.

"Hey?" cried Gallup, giving her a look of mock reproof. "Naow yeou be
keerful, young woman! I ain't fergut that you was kinder smashed on him
once."

At this his wife laughingly protested her innocence.

"Nevvier, nevvier after I knew you loved me, Ephraim," she declared.
"One time I theenk you do not care. Then I geet so very angry. Then I
make eyes at ze handsome Senyor Merriwell. I do eet to see how you like
that. Eet make you geet to your job on. Eet make you set your tongue
loose and say the word I want you to say. Senyor Merriwell he not care
one snap for me. I know eet. Do you theenk Teresa ees the foolish girl?"

"Not a hanged bit of it!" chuckled Gallup. "She was the slickest little
article I ever run up ag'inst. I guess yeou're right, Teresa. I guess
yeou kinder waked me up when you flung them goo-goo eyes at Frank. Fust
time in my life I ever felt that way, but, by ginger! I wanted to swat
him on the jaw. Great Hubbard squashes, wasn't I in love then!"

His wife frowned.

"Een love then?" she exclaimed. "You not be so much so now, ah?"