What had been said about Roxley going to pieces was, in part, true.  Several shifts were made in the players, but this did not aid the eleven.  With twelve minutes more to play, Brill kept up its winning streak, and secured another touchdown and goal and then a safety.  When the whistle finally blew the ball was well in Roxley’s territory.

“Brill wins!”

“Say, wasn’t that a great game?  All Roxley the first half and all Brill the second.”

“Talk about a team pulling itself together!  I never saw anything like what Brill did in the second half.”

“Nor I.”

“Those two Rover boys are winders.”

So the talk ran on.  Of course, Roxley was keenly disappointed, but it tried not to show it, and sang songs and cheered its opponents.  And Brill cheered the enemy, as is the custom.

Tom and Dick were surrounded by a host of friends, and had to shake hands over and over again, and had to have their hurts washed and bound up.  Both wanted to get to where Sam and the girls had been left, but this was impossible for quite a while, and then, much to their surprise, they found their brother and the others had gone, and Minnie Sanderson had departed also.

“Wonder where they went to?” questioned Tom.  “I told Sam we’d be along as soon as possible.”

To this Dick did not answer.  He was thinking deeply.  Was Dora still angry, in spite of how she had cheered him?

“There they are!” cried Tom a few minutes later, as he and Dick walked toward the river.  He had seen Nellie and Grace on a bench in the sun, surrounded by a number of other visitors.  He hurried up to them, his brother following more slowly.  “Where are Dora and Sam?” he questioned, looking around.

“Dora asked to go back to the seminary,” answered Nellie, and looked sharply at Dick.

“To the seminary?” repeated Tom in wonder.  “Why, how’s that?”

“She said she had a—­headache.”

“Is that so?  That’s too bad!  Why didn’t she wait for Dick to take her over?”

“I—­I don’t know, Tom.”  Nellie lowered her voice, so Dick might not hear.  “Something is wrong between them.  I don’t know what it is.”

“Wrong?  Why, how can that be?  I didn’t hear of anything,” Tom now spoke in a whisper.

“Well, I am sure something is wrong.  They acted queer when Dick came to the grandstand before the game commenced.  Dora’s heart was not in the game at all.  She was ready to go before it was over.”

“By the way, Tom, who was that other girl?” asked Grace pointedly.

“What other girl?”

“The girl Dick was talking to here on the grandstand.”

“Oh, that was the farmer’s daughter we helped when we first came to Ashton.  Her name is Minnie Sanderson.  We told you about her.”

“She seems to think a good deal of Dick,” was Nellie’s comment.

“Why, you don’t mean—­” Tom looked around, expecting to see Dick close by.  “Hello!  Where did he go?” he cried.