"It does me good to see that you have not forgotten your former instructions in drilling and marching," he said. "I trust that during the present term we shall see even better results, so that the work done here may compare favorably with that done at West Point." The school had now begun to settle down, and inside of a few days everything was working smoothly. "What a difference it makes to have Dan Baxter and Mumps absent!" observed Tom to Dick. "We don't have any of the old-fashion rows any more." "I'd like to know what Mumps and Josiah Crabtree were up to," put in the elder Rover. "It's queer we didn't hear any more of them. I'm going to get off soon and try and see Dora Stanhope. Perhaps she knows what Crabtree is doing." On that day Frank Harrington received a letter from his father, in which the senator stated that nothing more had been heard of the men who had looted Rush & Wilder's safe. "I fancy they have left the State, if not the country," was Mr. Harrington's comment. The three Rover boys got off the next day and took a walk past the cottages where resided the Lanings and the Stanhopes. At the Lanings' place Nellie and Grace came out to greet them. "So you are back!" cried Nellie, blushing sweetly. "Father said you were. He saw you come in at Cedarville." "Yes, back again, and glad to meet you," answered Tom, and gave the girl's hand a tight squeeze, while Sam and Dick also shook hands with both girls. "And how do you feel?" asked Grace of Dick. "Wasn't that dreadful the way Mr. Baxter treated you on that train?" "Well, he got the worst of it," answered Dick. "Oh, I know that! And now they suspect him of a robbery in Albany. Papa was reading it in one of the Ithaca papers." "Yes, and I guess he's guilty, Grace. But tell me, does Josiah Crabtree worry Mrs. Stanhope any more?" continued the boy seriously. "Why to be sure he does! And, oh, let me tell you something! Dora told me that he was terribly angry over having been sent to Chicago on a wild-goose chase." "I wish he had remained out there." "So do all of us," said Nellie Laning. "He seems bound to marry aunty, in spite of our opposition and Dora's." "How is your aunt now?" "She is not very well. Do you know, I think Mr. Crabtree exercises some sort of a strange influence over her." "I think that myself. If he could do it, I think he would hypnotize her into marrying him. He is just rascal enough. Of course he is after the money Mrs. Stanhope is holding in trust for Dora." "He can't touch that." "He can--if he can get hold of it. I don't think Josiah Crabtree cares much for the law. Is Dora home now?" "I believe she is. She was this morning, I know." "I'm going over to see her," went on Dick. "I promised to do all I could for her in this matter of standing Crabtree off, and I'm going to keep my word." As Sam and Tom wished to converse with the Laning girls a bit longer, Dick went on ahead, telling them to follow him when they chose.