SOMETHING ABOUT THE PAST
"Is this Mr. Thomas Rover?" asked the messenger boy, as he came to a
halt.
"Yes, that's my handle," answered Tom. "What have you got for me, a
check for a thousand dollars or a bill?"
"Telegram," was the laconic answer, and the lad held it out. "Sign
here," he added, bringing his receipt book into evidence. "It's paid
fer."
"All right, son." Tom signed the book, fished up a dime from his
pocket and handed it to the lad, who took it with a broad grin.
"T'anks, mister. Any answer?"
"I'll see," said Tom, and tore open the envelope of the telegram. He
perused the yellow sheet inside with interest.
"It's from Dick!" he cried, to Songbird. "He's got to come to Casford
on business and he says he will make the trip in the auto and bring
Dora along. They'll be here to-morrow or the day after, and they'll
stop at Hope Seminary too. Say, this is great! I must tell Sam!" went
on Tom, his face brightening. "You can go," he told the messenger boy.
"Here comes Sam now," announced Songbird. "He's got Stanley and Spud
with him." And he pointed to one of the doors of the college building.
To my old readers the Rover boys will need no introduction. For the
benefit of others, allow me to state that the youths were three in
number, Dick being the oldest, fun-loving Tom coming next, and sturdy
little Sam being the youngest. When at "the old homestead," as they
called it, they lived with their father, Anderson Rover, and their
Uncle Randolph and Aunt Martha on a farm called Valley Brook, in New
York State.
As related in the first volume of this series, entitled, "The Rover
Boys at School," the three lads had been sent to Putnam Hall Military
Academy, a well-known institution of learning presided over by Captain
Victor Putnam. There they had made many friends and also a few
enemies.*
The first term at school was followed by a trip on the ocean, and then
another trip into the jungles of Africa. Then came a journey to the
West, and jolly times on the Great Lakes and in the mountains. Next
the boys returned to the Hall, to go in camp with their fellow cadets.
After that they took a long journey over land and sea, being cast away
on a lonely island of the Pacific.
"Now I've had enough adventures to last a lifetime," said Dick, on
returning home. But strenuous happenings to him and his brothers were
not yet over. On a houseboat the Rover boys sailed down the Ohio and
the Mississippi rivers, having many adventures by the way, and then
found themselves on the Plains, where they solved the mystery of Red
Rock ranch. Then they reached Southern Waters, and in the Gulf of
Mexico discovered a deserted steam yacht, which they eventually turned
over to its anxious owner.
"Now for a good rest," said Sam, and the three lads returned to the
home farm, where more adventures befell them. Next they returned to
Putnam Hall, where all graduated with considerable honor.
"College next," said Tom, and he made a wry face, for studying was not
particularly in his line, although he could knuckle down as hard as
anyone when it was necessary. But before they went to college the lads
and their father, accompanied by some others, went off on a treasure
hunt, locating what was known as the Stanhope fortune.
Brill College was a fine institution of learning, located in the middle
west, not far from the town of Ashton. With the Rovers went their
old-time school chum, Songbird Powell, already introduced. At the same
time William Philander Tubbs came there from Putnam Hall. He was a
dudish fellow who thought more of his dress and his personal appearance
than anything else, and was often made the butt of some practical joke.
At Brill the Rovers soon made other friends, including Stanley Browne,
a tall, gentlemanly youth, and Will Jackson, generally called Spud,
because of his unusual fondness for potatoes. Spud was a great story
teller and some of his yarns were certainly "the limit," to use Sam's
way of expressing it.
While at Putnam Hall the Rover boys had made the acquaintance of Dora
Stanhope, who lived nearby with her widowed mother, and also Nellie and
Grace Laning, Dora's two cousins. It was not long before Dick and Dora
showed a great liking for each other, and at same time Tom commenced to
"pair off" with Nellie and Sam was often seen in the company of Grace.
Then came the time when the Rovers did a great service for Mrs.
Stanhope, saving her from the rascality of Josiah Crabtree, a teacher
at Putnam Hall who was trying to get possession of the money Mrs.
Stanhope held in trust for Dora. Crabtree was exposed and then he lost
no time in disappearing.
Not far from Brill College was located another institution of learning,
Hope Seminary, for girls. When the Rovers went to Brill, Dora and her
two cousins went to Hope, so the young folks met as often as before.
A short term at Brill was followed by an unexpected trip down East,
where the lads again fell in with the rascally Crabtree. Then the
youths returned home for a brief vacation and while there became the
owners of a biplane and took several thrilling trips through the air,
and, later on, by means of the same aircraft, managed to save Dora and
Nellie from some rascals who had abducted them.
About this time, Mr. Anderson Rover, who was not well, was having much
trouble with some brokers, who were trying to do him out of much
valuable property. He went to New York and disappeared, and the sons
immediately went in search of him, as related in the volume before
this, entitled "The Rover Boys in New York."
The brokers were Pelter, Japson & Company, and it was not long before
Dick and his brothers discovered that they were in league with Josiah
Crabtree. The plotters were holding Mr. Rover a prisoner, in the hope
that he would sign away certain rights to them. The boys traced the
crowd to a lonely farmhouse, and it was during the happenings which
followed that poor Tom was struck on the head by a wooden footstool,
thrown by Pelter, and knocked unconscious. Josiah Crabtree tried to
escape from a garret window by means of a rope made of a blanket and
this broke and he fell, breaking a leg in two places. He was taken to
a hospital and the doctors there said he would be a cripple for life.
All of the Rovers were much concerned over Tom, and for some time it
looked as if the youth might be seriously injured. But the boy had
grit and pulled himself together, and presently announced himself as
well as ever. But he often got that sharp pain through the head, and
there were times when, for an instant, his mind became a blank.
While Dick was at college he had become formally engaged to Dora, and
now it was decided that, as Mr. Rover was in no physical condition to
look after his various financial affairs, and as Dick seemed to take
more to business than to studying, he should leave college and take the
reins out of his parent's hands. Then he pleaded with Dora that they
get married and she consented, only stipulating that they must both
look after her mother. Then followed the grandest wedding that quiet
Cedarville had ever known, and Dick and Dora went off on a short but
exceedingly happy honeymoon trip.
"And now it is back to the college grind for us," Sam had said to Tom.
"Right you are," was the reply. "And we'll have to work pretty hard to
catch up with our classes."
"But your head, Tom----"
"Oh, that has got to take care of itself," had been Tom's reply; and
there the matter had dropped for the time being. But often Sam would
watch his brother closely, for he knew that poor Tom had been seriously
hurt and was by no means entirely over it.
When the two brothers had returned to Brill they had had to tell their
chums of all their doings in and near New York. Songbird had smiled
grimly on hearing of the fate of Josiah Crabtree.
"Well, he deserved it," the would-be poet had said. "He was a snake in
the grass from the start."
"I hope he doesn't cross our path again," Sam had replied. "I never
want to see him, again."
"Nor do I," had come from Tom. "If he's a cripple I reckon he'll keep
out of our sight."
It was hard work, after all the excitement of their doings in New York,
and the added excitement of the wedding, for Sam and Tom to settle down
to the hum-drum routine of life at college, but the lads did their
best. Nellie Laning and her sister Grace came back to Hope Seminary
and the young folks managed to see each other at least once a week.
Nellie was very solicitous about Tom, and when he admitted to her that
his head still hurt at times she wanted to know why he didn't return to
the farm for a long rest.
"Oh, I don't want to drop behind in my studies, Nellie," had been his
answer. "I want to get through, and go into business, like Dick has
done," and he gazed at her in a manner that caused her to blush deeply.
"Yes, I know. But, Tom dear, supposing your head----" She did not
know how to go on.
"Oh, my head will be all right, Nellie, so don't you fret. Why, I
wouldn't have you fret for the world!" And Tom had caught both her
hands tightly within his own. They understood each other perfectly.
"But you know what the doctor said--that you must be very careful for a
long, long time." She had not added that one of the specialists had
remarked that victims of such injuries sometimes went out of their
minds.
"Oh, I'll be all right I tell you, Nellie," he had answered. "I'll go
through Brill with a rush, see if I don't. And then we'll get
married----"
"Oh, Tom!"
"Surest thing you know," he had added, and then, as they chanced to be
alone, he had caught her in his arms and given her a quick little hug
and a kiss that meant a great deal. To Tom, the whole world did not
hold such another girl like Nellie. And to Nellie--well, there was Tom
and that was all.
"Well, you take good care of yourself," she had said on parting, and he
had told her again not to worry.
"What's the news?" asked Sam, as he came up to his brother and saw the
telegram in Tom's hand.
"Read it for yourself," was the answer and the younger Rover did so.
"So Dick is coming to Casford; eh?" mused Sam. "I suppose it's some
more of Dad's business. Well, I'll be glad to see him and see Dora,
too. We can all go up to Hope together."
"Go to Hope to see the teachers, I suppose," said Stanley Browne,
closing one eye suggestively. "Fine fun that, seeing the teachers,"
and then Sam made a playful pass at him with his fist.
"Sam said we were to take a walk," put in Spud. "Where are we going?"
"We might go out towards the Sanderson farm," suggested Songbird.
"So you can call on Minnie," cried Tom, for he knew of Songbird's deep
regard for the farmer's daughter. "All right, that suits me."
"Let us go through Lanker's woods and by the old mill," suggested Sam.
"That's a fine walk, Tom, and almost as short as the regular road."
"Just as short," put in Songbird. "I've walked it several times and I
know." And then he bit his lip as several of the others commenced to
laugh. "I don't care--I've got a right to visit the Sandersons if I
want to."
"Sure you have," answered Sam. "And Minnie--Great Scott! What's the
row now? Here comes Tubbs on the run and shaking his fist at us!"
"I guess I am in for it," returned Tom. "I fancy Tubblets wants to see
me."
* For particulars regarding how Putnam Hall Military Academy was
organized, and what fine times the cadets there enjoyed even before the
Rovers appeared on the scene, read "The Putnam Hall Series," six
volumes, starting with "The Putnam Hall Cadets."--PUBLISHERS.