Arnold Baxter."

"Well, if only your enemies reform, as Dan Baxter reformed, that will be
something worth while," said his mother.

All of the mothers had made great preparations for the return of the
young people. Their rooms had been placed in order, and there were a
number of pretty and useful gifts for all of them. Then came a grand
reunion in the Tom Rover home, where an elaborate dinner was served that
evening.

"Gee! if only our dads were here to enjoy this with us," murmured Andy,
as he gazed upon the many good things spread before him.

"I'll bet they won't find any fault with home cooking after they get
back from the trenches in France," commented Randy, with a grin. "I'll
bet they've had to put up with all kinds of cooking."

"Yes, and sometimes they had to put up with cooking that wasn't," added
Andy.

"Cooking that wasn't?" repeated Mary, puzzled. "Oh! I know what you
mean--when they couldn't get anything."

A number of their friends came in during the evening to see them, and
the young folks had an enjoyable time dancing and in singing in a group
around the piano, which the girls took turns in playing.

"We'll have to have another and a larger gathering when our fathers get
home," declared Mary.

"Oh, won't we have the bully good time then!" cried her brother.

"Maybe they won't have some stories to tell!" piped in Andy.

"I want to hear all about how Uncle Dick won that medal," came from
Randy.

It was not until after eleven o'clock that the little gathering broke
up, and then Mrs. Dick Rover called her children to her.

"Now you must tell me about your eyes, Jack, and you, Martha, must tell
me about Ruth Stevenson's," she said.

Thereupon the young captain and his sister related the particulars of
what had occurred during the outing on Bluebell Island and what had been
done by Doctor Borden to relieve the sufferers.

"It was a vile thing to do!" exclaimed Mrs. Rover, her eyes showing her
displeasure. "Why, that Gabe Werner is nothing but a criminal! You can
be thankful, Jack, that you escaped as you did. But are you sure poor
Ruth's eyes are not permanently injured?"

"Her eyes looked a great deal better when we came away than they had,"
answered Martha. "Just the same, I'm greatly worried, and I know Jack is
too."

"Ruth is to write to us and let us know how she is getting along," went
on the oldest Rover boy.

"Ruth is such a splendid girl, and so fine looking, it would be a sham