t Ditson, I am thinking about. I
do not wish to cause her so much pain."

"Oh, come off! If a fellow is such a snake as Ditson, he must get it
from his parents on one side or the other. Perhaps his mother is not so
good."

"I do not wish to think that of any fellow's mother. I much prefer to
think that he takes all his bad qualities from the other side of the
house. I remember my own mother--the dearest, gentlest, sweetest woman
in all the world! How she loved me! How proud she was of me! All the
better part of my nature I owe to her, God bless her!"

Frank spoke with deep feeling, and Rattleton was touched and silenced.
Merriwell arose and walked the floor, and there was an expression of the
utmost tenderness and adoration on his face--a look that brought
something like a mist to Harry's eyes. Frank seemed to have forgotten
his companion, and he gently murmured:

"My angel mother!"

That was too much for Harry, and he coughed huskily, in an attempt to
break the spell without being rude. Frank immediately turned, and said:

"I beg your pardon, old man. I forgot myself, for a moment."

"Oh, don't pard my begoner--that is, begon my pard--no, I mean peg my
bardon! Hang it all! I'm all twisted! I don't know what I am trying to
say!"

In confusion Harry got up and went to look out of the window.

"Jeewhittaker! I'm glad Merry don't get this way often!" he thought.
"Never knew him to do it before."

After some moments Frank declared:

"I am going to try to hush this Ditson matter up, Harry."

"You are?"

"Yes, for the sake of Ditson's mother. I want you to help me. We'll go
see Putnam and Jones. If they have told anybody, we'll see the others. I
am the one who has the greatest cause for complaint, and if I am willing
to drop it, I am sure Putnam should be. Come on, old man. Let's not lose
any time."

"Well, I suppose you are right," admitted Harry, as he reached for his
cap. "But there's not another person on top of the earth who could
induce me to keep still in such a case. It is a second offense, too."

So they went out together, and searched for Putnam and Jones.

At first Putnam was obstinate, and utterly refused to let Ditson off;
but Frank took him aside, and talked earnestly to him for fifteen
minutes, finally securing his promise to keep silent. It was not
difficult to silence Jones, and so the matter was hushed up for the
time. Nothing was said to Ditson, who was left in suspense as to what
cours