But a few miles away from Brill College was located Hope Seminary, an institution for girls.  When the Rover boys went to Brill, Dora, Nellie and Grace entered Hope, so the young folks met almost as often as before.  A term at Brill was followed by an unexpected trip Down East, where the Rover boys again brought the rascally Crabtree to terms.  Then the lads became the possessors of a biplane, and took several thrilling trips through the air.  About this time, Mr. Anderson Rover, who was not in the best of health, was having much trouble with some brokers, who were trying to swindle him out of valuable property.  He went to New York City, and disappeared, and his three sons went at once on the hunt for him.  The brokers were Pelter, Japson & Company, and it was not long before Dick and his brothers discovered that Pelter and Japson were in league with Josiah Crabtree.  In the end the boys found out what had become of their parent, and they managed to bring the brokers to terms.  But, during a struggle, poor Tom was hit 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.  This broke, and he sustained a heavy fall, breaking a leg in two places.  He was taken to a hospital, and the doctors there said he would be a cripple for life.

“There is no use in talking, Dad,” Dick had said to his father, “you are not in a fit physical condition to take hold of these business matters.  You had better leave them entirely to me.”  And to this Mr. Rover had agreed.  Then, as Dick was to leave college and spend most of his time in New York, it had been decided that he and Dora should get married.  There had followed one of the grandest weddings the village of Cedarville had ever seen.

The blow on Tom’s head proved more serious than was at first anticipated.  Through it the poor lad suddenly lost his mind, and while in that state he wandered away from Brill College, and went on a long journey, as related in detail in the volume preceding this, entitled “The Rover Boys in Alaska.”

As their father was too ill to take part in any search for the missing one, Dick and Sam took up the hunt, and after many thrilling adventures on the ice and in the snow, managed to locate their brother and bring him back home.

“And now, Tom, you must take a good long rest,” his kindly Aunt Martha had said, and she had insisted upon it that he be put under the care of a specialist.  Tom had rested for several months, and then, declaring that he felt as good as ever, had returned to Brill.  Sam was already in the grind, and soon Tom was doing his best to make up for the time he had lost on his strange trip.

Of course, Nellie Laning had been very much worried over Tom’s condition, and his disappearance had caused her intense dismay.  Since he had returned to Brill, she had asked that he either call on her or write to her at least once a week.  Tom preferred a visit to letter-writing, and as Sam was usually ready to go to Hope to see Grace whenever the opportunity afforded, the brothers usually took the trip together, as in the present instance.