The four boys walked back to the automobile, and soon they were returning to the hotel at which Bert was staying. By that time it was close to the lunch hour and so the visitors were invited to stay over for something to eat. "Didn't catch that man Haskers, eh?" remarked Mr. Passmore, as he came up, in company with Mr. Fordham. "No, he ran away," answered Roger, and then he and the others told of what had occurred. "I am very thankful to you for saving me from a bad investment," said Mr. Fordham. "I shall not forget it." And he kept his word, for later on, after he had consulted with his son and found out just how worthless was the stock in the Sunset Milling Company, he sent each of the boys a fine pair of gold cuff-links. After lunch the lads remained with Bert for about an hour and then took their departure for Roger's home, where they arrived some time before dark. As they rolled up the driveway a surprise awaited them. "Look who's here!" exclaimed Dave. "Hello there, Luke!" "Hello yourself," answered Luke Watson, with a broad grin. "I thought you chaps would be along soon." "And Shadow!" cried Roger, as another form came into view, from the Morr piazza. "This is a surprise! I didn't expect to see you quite so soon." "Oh, we hadn't anything special to do, so we came ahead," answered Luke. "Hope it won't put you out?" "Not at all, glad you are here." There was a general handshaking, for the automobile had now come to a stop and the boys had piled out to greet their former schoolmates. "Say, that puts me in mind of a story!" burst out Shadow Hamilton. "A fellow made a date with a girl for six o'clock. Well, at five----" "Wow!" "Shadow is onto the game already!" "Say, Shadow, give us a chance to say how-do-you-do first, won't you?" "I believe Shadow would try to tell a story if he was going to a funeral." "Oh, say!" burst out the former story-teller of Oak Hall. "That puts me in mind of another. Two Irishmen went to a funeral and----" "Shut him off!" "Put a popcorn ball in his mouth!" "Make him apologize on the spot!" At once the four others surrounded the would-be story-teller and pushed him from the gravel path to the green lawn. Then followed something of a wrestling match, all the lads taking part. "Let up, will you!" panted Shadow, breaking away at last. "I won't tell any stories if you don't want to listen to 'em. But just the same, that story about the Irishmen was a good one. And that about the fellow who went to see the girl at five o'clock is a corker. You see his watch had stopped and he----" "Jump him!" "He can't stop, no matter how hard he tries!" "Let's stand him on his head and make him tell it backwards!" Again there was a rush, but this time poor Shadow took to his heels and rushed up on the piazza, just as the door opened and Mrs. Morr came out to greet the boys. "Roger!" exclaimed the lady of the mansion, turning to her son, "what in the world----"