“It’s too bad,” said Sam, “especially when the term has just opened.  It will give Tom a black eye.”

“I don’t think he’ll stand for too much punishment, being innocent, Sam.  He’ll go home first.”

“I was thinking of that.  But we don’t want to be here with Tom gone.”

Arriving at Ashton, the boys hurried to the post-office.  The mail for the college was in, and among it they found several letters from home and also epistles from Dora Stanhope and the Laning girls.

“Here’s one for Tom—­that will cheer him up a bit,” said Dick, holding up one addressed in Nellie Laning’s well-known hand.

The boys sat down in an out-of-the-way corner to read their letters.  Dick had a communication of ten pages from Dora, and Sam had one of equal length from Grace.  Then there was one for all the boys from their father, and another from their Aunt Martha.

“The girls are coming next Wednesday,” said Dick.  “I hope we can get down to the depot when they arrive.”

“Don’t forget poor Tom, Dick,”

“Yes.  Isn’t it too bad?”

“Nellie will cry her eyes out if he is sent away.”

“Oh, we’ve got to fix that up somehow.”

Having read the letters carefully, the boys went to one of the stores to make some purchases, and then drifted down to the depot.  A train was coming in, but they did not expect to see anybody they knew.  As a well-dressed young man, carrying a suit case, alighted, both gave an exclamation: 

“Dan Baxter!”

The individual they mentioned will need no introduction to my old readers.  During their days at Putnam Hall the Rover boys had had in Dan Baxter and his father enemies who had done their best to ruin them.  The elder Baxter had repented after Dick had done him a great service, but Dan had kept up his animosity until the Rovers imagined he would be their enemy for life.  But at last Dan, driven to desperation by the actions of those with whom he was associating, had also repented, and it was the Rovers who had set him on his feet again.  They had loaned him money, and he had gotten a position as a traveling salesman for a large wholesale house.  How he was faring they did not know, since they had not seen or heard of him for a long time.

“Hello!  You here?” cried Dan Baxter, and dropped his suit case on the depot platform.  “Thought you were at the college.”

“Came down for an airing,” answered Dick.  He held out his hand.  “How goes it with you, Dan?”

“Fine!  Couldn’t be better.”  Baxter shook hands with both boys, and they could not help but notice how clean-cut and happy he appeared, quite in contrast to the careless, sullen Dan of old.

“Come on business?” inquired Sam.

“Yes.”

“What are you selling?” asked Dick.

“I am in the jewelry line now, representing one of the biggest houses in the United States.  I was going through to Cleveland, but I made up my mind to stop off here and see you.  I heard from one of the old boys that you were here.”