."

"I'll do my best, Uncle Dunston."

"And don't let that wild man get you," added Jessie, as she took his
hand and allowed him to hold her own, perhaps longer than was
necessary.

"And don't forget to write," put in his sister.

"Oh, I'll not forget that!" answered Dave, with a smile, both to his
sister and to the girl whom he regarded so warmly.

It was a trying moment--this parting--but it was soon over, and, with
Dunston Porter at the wheel, and the girls and boys waving their
hands, the touring car left the Oak Hall grounds, on its return
journey to Crumville.

"Well, here we are, as the pug dog said to the looking-glass, when he
walked behind it to look for himself," remarked Phil, dropping into a
chair.

"I suppose it will take us a few days to get settled down," answered
Dave, resting on the top of a table. "I don't feel much like unpacking
yet, do you?"

"No, let us wait until to-night or to-morrow," returned Roger,
dropping on one of the beds. He was still thinking of how clear and
deep Laura's eyes had appeared when she had said good-by to him.

"I really hope you will not be homesick," said a girlish voice, and
Bertram Vane, one of the students, appeared from the next room and sat
down on a chair. "Homesickness is such an awfully cruel thing, don't
you know."

"No homesickness here, Polly," answered Dave. "I guess we are just
tired out, that's all. We've done a lot of traveling since we left Oak
Hall."

"So I understand. Wasn't it dreadful that Jasniff and Merwell should
prove such villains!" went on the girlish student. "Weren't you really
afraid to--er--to touch them?"

"Not much!" cried Phil. "I am only sorry Merwell got away."

"But you got the diamonds, I heard?" put in Sam Day, who was another
of the chums.

"We did."

At that moment came musical sounds from another room near by--the
sounds of somebody strumming on a guitar.

"Hello, there's Luke Watson!" cried Roger. "Hi, come in with that
guitar and give us a tune, Luke!" he called out.

"Thought I might cheer you up," said Luke, appearing. "How would you
like me to play 'The Girl I Left Behind Me,' or something like that?"

"Make it 'Oh, Those Eyes So Tender!'" suggested Buster.

"Or else that beautiful ditty called, 'He Loved, But Had to Leave
Her,'" suggested Shadow. "Say, that puts me in mind of a story," he
went on. "This is true, too, though you may not believe it. A young
man went to call on his best girl and took a