und here are Mr. Fallow and my friend Dr. Brandegee."

"And you never asked me a word about it!"

"About what?" inquired Dabney. "I must say I don't quite understand. Do
you mean, about what we were to do with our fish?"

"Of course I do. I can't allow"--

She hesitated a moment, as if the next words were slow in coming; and
Dab helped her out with,--

"Can't allow what, Mrs. Myers?" and Ford added,--

"Now, Mrs. Myers, there's nothing healthier than fish. It won't hurt
either of 'em. Is supper ready?"

"I hope it is," said Dab. "I'm getting hungry again."

Mrs. Myers looked at them in amazement; and so did Miss Almira, for, if
one thing was plainer than another, it was that neither of those three
boys understood the nature of her complaint. It did not seem to occur to
them, that she had, or could, or would claim any control over the
results of their day's fun; not even when she said,--

"I intended one string for Deacon Short, and another for Mrs.
Sunderland"--

"Don't work their brains, Mrs. Myers," said Ford. "Don't need any fish.
But then, if we have as good luck next time, we'll bear them in mind.
We've kept enough pan-fish for breakfast, and the big ones'll be just
the thing for dinner."

That had been the plan of Mrs. Myers herself; for she had already said
to Almira,--

"It'll be a real saving, and the corned beef'll be just as good on
Monday."

More talk would hardly improve such a case as that; and it was really
beginning to dawn upon Mrs. Myers, that her three boy boarders had minds
and wills of their own, moreover, that they had not the most distant
idea of failing to exercise them on every proper occasion.

CHAPTER XXXII.

OLD FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS OF HIS COME TO VISIT DABNEY.

"Boys," remarked Dab Kinzer, when they gathered in their own room after
supper, "I can't say we've learned a great deal this first week; but
we've found a tiptop fishing-ground, and we've settled the Hart boys."

"Shouldn't wonder if Mrs. Myers feels a good deal more settled than she
did too," said Ford. "But I'm thinking what Frank Harley's going to do
with his fingers, when we can give him a chance. We've loads of fun
ahead, or I'm mistaken."

"I won't try it on very often," said Frank. "Fun's fun, that's a fact;
but I came here to learn something."

"My dear young friend," said Ford, with a sudden imitation of Mr.
Fallow, "think of how much you've learned in seven days. Dab's beginning
to know so