"No, she won't, because I'll stay with her," announced a cheery voice, and, turning, the mother and son beheld Margie, who had entered without the formality of rapping, in time to hear the latter part of the conversation. "You must go, Fred. You deserve a little pleasure, if ever any one did." Thus assured that his mother would not be alone, the boy decided to start that very afternoon, and telegraphed Bronson to that effect. The lawyer did not seem at all the formidable man Fred supposed him to be, and Mr. Bronson, on his part, took a great liking to the manly boy, of whose persecution by the rich bully, his son had told him. Under cover of this cordiality, Fred plucked up courage one evening to tell about the strange actions of Mr. Montgomery and Charlie Gibbs at the bank. Instantly the lawyer was all attention, and, after he had heard the story once, he made the boy repeat it, questioning him searchingly upon the incidents. "H'm; if Montgomery is in the habit of going to the bank at night with his brother-in-law, it will explain several things," he mused. But though the boy sought to draw him out, he was unable, Mr. Bronson dismissing the subject with the remark that Fred was too young to understand such things. Yet, on the day of his return to Baxter, he had the satisfaction of being asked by the lawyer to advise him of any suspicious actions by either Mr. Montgomery or Gibbs. After the opening of the second semester, the students amused themselves as best they could after school hours until the call was issued for candidates for the baseball team. As any boy in good standing was eligible, the gymnasium was well filled when Hal Church, who had been elected captain at the close of the previous season, greeted the candidates. "First, I'll take the names of those who played last year," he announced. Quickly the boys came forward, each stating the position for which he intended to try. Among the first to enroll was Bart, who declared he was out for pitcher. Then followed Lefty, third base; Shorty Sims, shortstop; Taffy, right field; Sandow, first base, and Fred, who signified his intention of trying for second base. "Don't put him down; he threw my football game to Landon," growled Bart. If a bomb had been dropped among the boys, no greater consternation could have been produced than by this remark. "You know better than that, Montgomery," shouted Sandow above the babel of voices. "Do you mean to tell me if Fred had played we wouldn't have won?" demanded Bart angrily. "No, I don't." "I thought not," sneered the rich bully. "But I tell you what I _do_ mean," flashed the leader of the Firsts. "I mean if you had kept your head after Thomas slugged your nose, and sent Buttons against the line, instead of always signalling for the ball to be given to you, the Seconds would have won--or at least made a better showing." This open charge of both incompetence and selfish desire to carry the ball set Bart beside himself.