eless, and he had a
persistent way of displacing things that annoyed Frank, although the
latter said little about it at first.

Whenever the inspecting officer found anything wrong about the room, he
simply glanced at the orderly board, and down went the demerit against
the lad whose name was posted there. It made no difference who had
left a chair out of place, hung a coat where it should not be, or
failed to invert the washbowl, the room orderly had to assume the
responsibility.

Now, it was the last thing in the world that Hodge could wish to injure
Merriwell, but three times in Frank's first week as room orderly he was
reported for things he could not help, and for which Bart was entirely
responsible.

Merriwell had risen to the first section in recitation at the very
start, while Hodge, who had been placed in the third, was soon
relegated to the second.

Frank was trying to curb his almost unbounded inclination for mischief,
and he was studying assiduously.

On the other hand, while Hodge did not seem at all mischievous by
nature, he detested study, and he was inclined to spend the time when
he should have been "digging," in reading some story, or in idly
yawning and wishing the time away.

One day, after having taken his third demerit on his roommate's
account, the inspector having detected tobacco smoke in the room, Frank
said:

"Why don't you swear off on cigarettes, Bart? They don't do a fellow
any good, and they are pretty sure to get him into trouble here at the
academy."

Hodge was in anything but a pleasant frame of mind, and he instantly
retorted:

"I know what you mean. You are orderly, and I ought to have spoken up
and told the inspector I had been smoking. I didn't know what it was
he put down, but I'll go and confess my crime now."

He sprang up petulantly, but Frank's hand dropped on his arm, and
Merriwell quietly said:

"Don't go off angry, old man. You know I don't want you to do anything
of the sort. I will take my medicine when I am orderly, and I know you
will do the same when it comes your turn."

"Well, I didn't know----" began Bart, in a somewhat sulky manner.

"You ought to know pretty well by this time. I am not much given to
kicking or growling, but I do want to have a sober talk with you, and I
hope you will not fire up at anything I say."

"All right; go ahead," said Hodge, throwing himself wearily into a
chair, and thrusting his hands deep into his pockets. "I