ooking
around.

"He did say he wasn't, but I guess his folks made him. He wanted to
branch out for himself and be a lawyer, I believe. He sure would be
great on cross-examining witnesses with the way he asks questions,"
finished Morse with a laugh.

A small lad was approaching the two friends on the run, and, as he
neared them, he called out:

"Hello, Morse! Say, Tom Fairfield, when did you get in? Did you have
a good time? I hear you went camping and discovered a hidden treasure.
Did it amount to much? How much did you get? Where's Jack and Bert?
Are you going in for football? Where are you rooming?"

Tom and Morse came to a stop. They eyed each other solemnly. Then Tom
said gravely:

"Isn't it a shame; and he's so young, too!"

"Yes," assented Morse with a mournful shake of his head. "I understand
that his case is hopeless. They are going to provide a keeper for him."

"Say, look here, you fellows!" exclaimed the small lad. "What's eating
you, anyhow? What do you mean by that line of talk?"

"Oh, he heard us!" gasped Tom, in pretended confusion. "I didn't think
he had any rational moments. But he has. There, Georgie," he went on
soothingly. "Go lie down in the shade, and you'll be all right in a
little while. Do you suffer much?"

"Say, what's the joke?" demanded George Abbot, the small lad referred
to. "Can't I ask you a question, without being insulted and called
crazy?"

"Sure you can, Why," replied Tom, giving the lad the nick-name bestowed
on him because of his many interrogations. "Of course you can ask one
question, or even two, but you can't fire broadsides at us in that
fashion. Remember that we have weak hearts."

"And our constitutions are not strong," added Morse.

"Oh, you be hanged!" murmured George. "If you can't--"

"Oh, come along!" invited Tom, catching him by the arm. "We're going
to town. It's Morse's treat. Yes, George, I did have a bang-up time
on my vacation. I'll tell you all about it later."

The three were soon on a trolley car and, a little later, they had
reached the town, heading for a drug store where ice cream sodas were a
specialty.

"It goes to the right spot!" exclaimed Tom gratefully, as he finished
what was set before him. "What do you say to a moving picture show?
It will pass the time until the last train gets in. Then for some fun
to-night, if Jack and Bert show up."

The others were willing, and soon, in company with some other E