eir way back to the
Hall, other lads doing the same thing. The excitement was over now, and
soon Elmwood Hall had taken on her normal appearance at night, with her
students resuming their interrupted slumbers.

There was much talk of the fire the next morning, the topic forming a
fruitful source of conversation at the breakfast tables, and on the way
to chapel. Then came lessons, when the lads separated. But in Tom's
mind there rankled the words the old farmer had used.

"I wonder what will come of it?" he mused.

He had not long to wait to find out. That afternoon, following some hard
football practice, when he and his two particular chums were on their way
to the gymnasium for a shower bath, they heard a voice behind them asking:

"I say, kin you boys tell me where I kin find Doctor Meredith? I want t'
have a talk with him."

They turned, to behold Farmer Appleby, dressed in what were apparently
his best clothes, and with a "biled" shirt, the collar of which obviously
galled his neck.

"There is the doctor's residence, over there," indicated Tom. "I trust
the fire is all out," he added, half sarcastically.

"Humph! Yes, it's out, but I ain't done with it yet," and the farmer
nodded his head vigorously. "I've got some suspicions, and I've come t'
tell 'em. I want t' have a talk with Doctor Meredith about that fire."

"Here he comes now," said Jack, as the tall form of the head master was
seen approaching over the campus. Seeing the group of lads, and
recognizing them, the doctor turned and approached Tom and his mates.
Mr. Appleby, assuming an air of importance, stood waiting.

"Well, boys, none the worse from the excitement of last night, I hope,"
began the head of the school. "At least I see you are able to resume
football practice," and he smiled at the rather soiled appearance of the
lads.

"Yes, we're all right," assented Jack.

"Be you Doctor Meredith?" broke in the farmer.

"I am," was the quiet answer, and a pair of eyes that had an
uncomfortable habit of seeming to bore right through one, looked sharply
at the farmer. "Did you wish to see me?"

"Yes, I'm Mr. Appleby. It was my hay stacks that burned last night."

"Oh, yes, I heard about it. I am sorry for you. I understand that had
it not been for some of my students the fire would have been much worse.
You have come to thank them, through me, I take it."

"Well, no, Doctor Meredith, I don't know as I have," and the farmer's
vo