Baker and Diamond in his shop had declared that the attack on Merriwell would probably remain a mystery; therefore it is likely that Miller reasoned that it would be safer for him to stay where he was as if he were entirely ignorant of the whole matter. Although Rattleton and Hodge kept their watch on him faithfully throughout the day, no other of the students interested in the case went near him until early in the evening. Then Rowe and Henderson dropped in. Rowe went in first and bought a box of pipe tobacco. While he was waiting for his change Henderson came in with a very gloomy face. He nodded silently to Rowe, laid a coin on the counter and asked for a cigar. "Why! Henderson," exclaimed Rowe, jocosely, "what's gone wrong with you? Has the faculty suspended you, or is it simply stomach ache?" "Oh! don't joke about it!" responded Henderson, dismally. "Joke about what?" "Haven't you heard?" asked Henderson, in the same melancholy tone. "Heard what?" "About Merriwell." "No. That is, nothing since morning. Has he----" "Yes. He's gone!" The two students looked at each other as if in great consternation. Rowe drew a long breath and remarked: "Great Scott! that's awful." Henderson sighed too, and both went out together without another word. Then they got around the nearest corner and burst into a perfect fit of laughter. "Say! but he looked as if he'd seen a ghost," chuckled Henderson. "Gee whiz!" returned Rowe, "but he was blue. How will he look to-night, eh?" "I'm just burning up to have the fun begin," answered Henderson, "and we shall have to wait until midnight." "Yes, later than that if he shuts up at the usual late hour, but perhaps he'll start home earlier." "I shouldn't wonder," remarked Henderson, "if this should work on his nerves through the evening and cause him to try to skip the town." "We shan't lose him," returned Rowe, in a satisfied tone, "and the only thing we've got to do now is to kill time until the hour comes for business. Let's play billiards." Accordingly they went to a billiard hall and knocked the balls around until they were tired of walking about the tables. For the others interested, as well as those, the time passed slowly. A number of students, including Merriwell, who were to take part in this affair, assembled at the society rooms about the middle of the evening, thinking that possibly Miller might take fright and shut up his shop earlier, but the hours passed and Miller still stuck to his counter. Hodge and Rattleton, who, now that it was dark, stood nearer to the cigar store, could see that Miller was growing nervous as the time passed. He paced restlessly up and down back of his counter and occasionally shifted the position of boxes and did other things to indicate that he was suffering from extreme anxiety. When customers came in he greeted them gruffly and had little to say, whereas his usual custom was to talk freely.