Upon her arrival in Manchester, Mrs. Baxter went to the Maryland Hotel, where she was joined, in due course, by her attorney from Boston. "Harding, I want you to buy every share of stock possible in the First National Bank of Baxter," she commanded, after the generalities of greeting. "But----" "Don't 'but' me. Buy, no matter what you are obliged to pay. This is not a matter of investment. It is one of retribution--and I think I can afford it." "Surely, Mrs. Baxter." "Then carry out my instructions at your earliest opportunity. Now fetch Samuel Bronson to see me." Accustomed to the curt commands of the wealthy woman, her attorney hastened to the offices of the distinguished lawyer, and soon returned with him. "I understand you are representing Benjamin Markham, Mr. Bronson," she said, when the introduction had been completed. "Yes, Mrs. Baxter." "I want you to tell me just how his case stands. I am his friend and desire to help him." After courteously assuring himself on this point, Mr. Bronson briefly told her all the details, adding that he was convinced Gibbs had changed the record of the deed, had forged the check, and, in company with Mr. Montgomery, had taken the money from the bank at one of their evening visits. "The great difficulty, however, is to prove these things," he concluded. "Would it help if I should obtain control of the bank's stock?" asked Mrs. Baxter. "Undoubtedly." Quickly Fred's benefactress told of her orders to attorney, and it was agreed that the day she was in possession of the majority of the stock, Mr. Bronson should go to Baxter as her representative, call a meeting of the directors and elect himself president. And they further agreed that no word of their plan should be communicated to the Markhams until its success was assured. But the task of securing control of the bank without arousing Mr. Montgomery's suspicions was difficult, and it was not until late in the fall that it was accomplished. In the meantime, Mr. Markham had passed the Fourth of July with his family, and Fred had made himself so valuable that his employer had doubled his wage and allowed him to assist in keeping the books. But as the time approached for the opening of school, Fred was in a quandary whether to give up his work or his school. In his perplexity, he appealed to his father, who, in turn, sought the advice of Mr. Bronson. "By all means have Fred go back to school," counselled the lawyer. "If you are short of money, I will gladly advance you some which you can repay when you are on your feet again." "You must be mighty confident I'm going to get back," smiled Mr. Markham. "I am." The opening day of school found all the First Form back, and cordial were their greetings to Fred. After the formality of enrolling had been gone through, Bart summoned the boys to lay out the football campaigns for the different Forms.