She soon led the way to the dining room, where a long table had been prepared for the boys. They gasped when they saw that array, and Miss Applegate beamed. "I know you don't want an old woman like me watching you while you eat," she cried. "So go right ahead--and put your elbows on the table if you wish." There was a scramble for places, as a servant came in with the soup, but Frank Hardy sprang to his feet. "Three cheers for Miss Applegate!" They were given with vociferous enthusiasm. Miss Applegate blushed with pleasure, and as she left the room the Hardy boys and their chums were sitting down to a banquet the like of which they had never seen before. For more than half an hour they indulged in roast chicken, crisp and brown, huge helpings of fluffy mashed potatoes, pickles, vegetables and salads, pies and puddings to suit every taste, and when the last boy sank back in his chair with a happy sigh there was still food to spare. "I never thought I'd see the day when I'd quit eating while there was still some chicken on the table," murmured Chet Morton, "but this is the day." "We have the Hardy boys to thank for this spread," said Jerry. "Let's give 'em three cheers." The boys roared out their "hip, hip, hurrah!" three times, while Joe and Frank looked acutely uncomfortable. They looked still more uncomfortable when Slim Robinson got up, pushing back his chair. "I'd like to say something, fellows, if you don't mind." "Three cheers for Slim!" yelled some one. So the boys gave Slim three cheers, and he gulped and blushed crimson. "Speech!" The cry was taken up. "Speech! Speech!" "I'm not going to make any speech," he said. "I only want to say something." "Go ahead!" "I'm not going to hand out any compliments to the Hardy boys." Joe and Frank looked greatly relieved. They had been afraid of being embarrassed by Slim's gratitude. "Everybody knows what they've done and everybody knows what it means to me and to my family." "You bet!" "Sure!" "But I just wanted to clear up one point on behalf of my father." "Three cheers for Henry Robinson! He's all right." The three cheers for Mr. Robinson were perhaps a little weaker than the others, but that was only because some of the boys were beginning to show slight signs of hoarseness by that time. "It's about the nine hundred dollars that he got just about the time of the robbery. He couldn't explain it at the time and it looked bad against him." "It doesn't matter where he got it," shouted Biff Hooper. "I'll bet he got it honestly anyway, and if any one else says different, just let him come outside." No one else said differently.