“He’ll have to tell where he got the box, Sam.”

“I doubt if you get any satisfaction.”

And Sam was right, as later events proved.  When Tom tackled Koswell the latter said positively that he knew nothing of the dress-suit case.  He said he had found the box on a stand in the hallway near Professor Sharp’s door, and had used it because it suited his purpose.

“But you saw it had my name on it,” said Tom.

“No, I didn’t.  It was rather dark in the hall, and all I saw was that it contained pencils and crayons,” answered Jerry Koswell.

“Well, I don’t believe you,” answered Tom abruptly.  “You did it on purpose, and maybe some day I’ll be able to prove it.”  And he walked off, leaving Koswell in anything but a comfortable frame of mind.

Tom was curious to see how Professor Sharp would act after the affair.  During the first recitation the instructor seemed ill at ease, but after that he acted as usual.  Tom half suspected the professor still thought him guilty.

“Well, it was a pretty mean thing to do,” soliloquized the fun-loving Rover.  “If anybody did that to a picture of Nellie I’d mash him into a jelly.”

All of the Rovers were awaiting the arrival of the girls with interest, and each was fearful that some poor recitation might keep him from going to meet them at the Ashton depot on Wednesday.  But, luckily, all got permission to go to town, and they started without delay as soon as the afternoon session was ended.

“Where bound?” asked Songbird, in some surprise, as he saw them driving off in a carriage Dick had ordered by telephone.

“Going to meet Dora and Nellie and Grace,” answered Dick.  “Do you—­er—­want to come along?”

“Oh, sure.  I’ll see them all home myself,” answered the would-be poet with a wink of his eye.  “No, thank you.  I know enough to keep out of somebody else’s honey pot.  Give them my regards,” he added, and strolled off, murmuring softly: 

  “If them love me as I love thee,
  How happy thee and I will be!”

The boys got down to the depot ahead of time, and were then told that the train was fifteen minutes late.  They put in the time as best they could, although every minute seemed five.

“Hello!  There is Dudd Flockley!” exclaimed Sam presently, and pointed to the dudish student, who was crossing the street behind the depot.

“Maybe he came down to meet somebody, too,” said Tom.  “More than likely there will be quite a bunch of girls bound for the seminary.”

At last the train rolled in, and the three Rovers strained their eyes to catch the first sight of their friends.

“There they are!” shouted Dick, and pointed to a parlor car.  He ran forward, and so did his brothers.  The porter was out with his box, but it was the boys who assisted the girls to alight, and Dick who tipped the knight of the whisk-broom.

“Here at last!” cried Dick.  “We are so glad you’ve come!”