"No! No! Don't tell him!" exclaimed Dick. "He thinks baseball is wicked. Just say--say anything you like except that. I'll come back as soon as the game's over--if I'm alive. He won't mind waiting. It will give him a chance to think." Which perhaps was not exactly polite on Dick's part. He hurried off, leaving Uncle Ezra in the reception room, wondering what important business his nephew had that kept him so long. And, by not seeing his Uncle Ezra, Dick missed hearing a bit of news that was destined to make a great change in his affairs. But he heard it later, as you will see. While our hero was on his way to the field, hoping that he would get a chance to play, Uncle Ezra sat in the reception room. He was not very impatient at the delay. As Dick had said, it gave him a chance to think. Presently the door opened, and Russell Glen looked in the apartment. He was in search of Dutton, having been told the young major was there. Not seeing his friend, he was about to withdraw, with an apology for having disturbed Mr. Larabee. "Are you one of the students here?" asked Dick's uncle, who was getting rather tired waiting. "Yes. I'm in my second year." "Ah, then you must know my nephew, Richard Hamilton?" "Oh, yes, I know Dick." "Richard is his proper name," corrected Mr. Larabee stiffly. Glen nodded, and was about to go out. "If you see him, I wish you would tell him to hurry," went on Mr. Larabee. "I have been waiting for some time for him, but he sent word that he had an important engagement, and would see me later." Glen guessed what the "engagement" was, so he merely nodded. "I want to see him very particularly," continued the aged man, "as I have some important news for him. It may make a great difference in his life. In fact, I'm sure it will." Glen opened his eyes at this, and decided not to go just yet. "Has some one left him some more millions?" he asked in a joking tone. "Far from it," said Mr. Larabee in solemn accents. "Eh?" asked Glen, wondering what was coming. "I always said it was foolish for my sister to leave Richard so much money," went on Mr. Larabee severely, "and I told Mortimer Hamilton that he was risking his money to go to Europe. Now, what I said would happen has happened." "Is Mr. Hamilton in trouble?" asked Glen, not a little rejoiced to find that difficulties were in store for Dick. "Well, I'd call it trouble to lose nearly all my fortune. But it serves Mortimer right, and Richard also." "Has Mr. Hamilton lost his money?" inquired Glen, coming closer to Mr. Larabee. "Practically so." "And Dick?" "A large part of his is gone also. It was invested with Mr. Hamilton's. I received word of it yesterday, and I hurried to come here and tell him. A New York bank, in which Mr. Hamilton was largely interested, and in which were most of Dick's funds, as well his father's, has failed." "Then Mr. Hamilton isn't a millionaire any longer?" "I fear not." "And Dick?" asked Glen eagerly.