o Applesnack's and have jest one little taste of that cider."

"Let's start a cheer for Frank Merriwell and his friends as they go,"
suggested the deacon.

The others caught at this eagerly, and, as a result, when the carriages
started away from the station, the villagers on the platform, led by the
three "old boys," gave an irregular but hearty cheer for Frank Merriwell
and his friends. Frank turned a laughing face toward them and waved his
hand.

"The people around here seem a-plenty stuck on you, Merry," observed
Badger, who was in the carriage with him.

"Oh, I have lots of friends in Bloomfield," answered Frank. "I had
enemies enough at the start, but my worst enemies--the most of
them--have turned into friends."

"Same old story," said the Kansan. "It was that way at college. You
always made your strongest friends out of your bitterest enemies.
Browning, for instance, was an enemy at the start, and I certain didn't
cotton to you any at all. We had some hot old times in those days,
Merry. That's whatever!"

"Hot old times! Grand old times!" came from Frank's lips. "I often think
of them. You'll find Browning, Diamond, Hodge, and Carson at the house.
And away back in the days at Fardale, long before I met you, Buck, Bart
Hodge was a bitter enemy. Browning and Diamond are two of my instructors
in the A. S. of A. D. Hodge is my overseer at the mines. Bruce and Jack
have had their hands full this afternoon rushing the boys through the
regular work in order that they might get off for the afternoon. Hodge
and Carson have been helping. I've kept Carson at work during the last
week or so. It was necessary. Certain unpleasant affairs of his put him
in a bad way, and the only thing was to take up his mind by work. I
haven't given him much time to think and brood."

"I opine we've got a brooder with us in the carriage behind," said
Badger, in a low tone. "Carker shows it in his face and eyes."

"Oh, he's still suffering mentally over the troubles of the masses, I
suppose," said Frank.

"There's something beyond that--something that has affected him still
worse," explained Buck. "You noticed Winnie's chum, Mrs. Morton?"

"Of course I noticed her," smiled Frank. "Didn't you introduce me? She's
rather pretty."

"Well, to the surprise of both Winnie and myself, we discovered on the
train when Madge and Greg met that there had been some sort of an old
love affair between them. I reckon that's two-thirds the trouble w