Edward Stratemeyer

“ Coming to another bend of the woodland road, the youngest Rover had barely time to pull his steed well toward the right hand and almost into some bushes when another cutter hove into sight, coming along at a furious rate. The horse was on a gallop, and the man driving him, a fellow wrapped up in a heavy overcoat and with a fur cap pulled far down over his forehead, was using his whip freely.
"Wow! That fellow must be in some hurry," observed Spud, as the other turnout flashed past. "He isn't sparing his horse any." ”

“ Sam's own present to his bride was a gold wrist-watch set in diamonds and pearls—a beautiful affair over which the happy girl went wild with delight.
At last came the eventful day, full of golden sunshine. All of the Rovers had arrived in Cedarville and were quartered at the hotel. Many other guests were at the Stanhope homestead and at the Laning farm, and still others—former cadets—had come back not only to attend the wedding but also to take another look at dear old Putnam Hall. ”

“ CHAPTER XIX GETTING READY FOR THE TOUR
"And now for the grand tour!"
"That's the talk, Sam! We ought to have the best time ever," returned his brother Tom.
"Just to think of such an outing makes me feel five years younger," came from Dick Rover. "I like work as well as any one, but a fellow has got to break away once in a while."
"And to think we are going away out to Colorado Springs and Pike's Peak!" burst out Dora.
"And all the way in our automobiles!" added Nellie. "I hope we don't have any breakdowns." ”

“ Down at the barns an automobile was in readiness to take Sam and his bride away on their wedding trip. This car Dick and Tom and a number of others lost no time in decorating with white streamers and a placard which read: We are on our wedding trip. Congratulate us.
"Aren't you going to stay to have a dance?" questioned Nellie of her sister, a little later.
"Of course," answered Grace; and shortly after that she and Sam tripped around to the tuneful measures of a two-step. All of the young folks present joined in, the older folks looking on with much satisfaction. ”

“ Sam's best man was his old Putnam Hall chum, Fred Garrison, while among the ushers were Songbird, Stanley, Spud, Bob, and some others of his former classmates.
Presently the organ pealed out and the minister appeared, followed a moment later by Sam. Then up the aisle came Grace on the arm of Mr. Laning, and daintily attired in white with a flowing veil beset with orange blossoms.
"Oh, how pretty she looks!" said more than one; and they spoke the truth, for Grace certainly made a beautiful bride. ”

“ Back up!" called out Dick. "We've got to get out of here! There is some sort of blasting going on ahead!"
"Oh, Dick, be careful!" cried Mrs. Stanhope, and sprang up in the tonneau of the car in alarm, quickly followed by Mrs. Laning.
"You will run into Mr. Waltham, sure!" wailed the latter.
"Don't smash into me! Don't smash into me!" yelled the young millionaire in sudden terror. "If you bump into me you'll send me into the ditch!"
By this time Dick's car was less than three feet away from the runabout, while Tom's machine was still some distance farther up the road. ”

“ Among those who had attended Brill were Stanley Browne, Spud Jackson, Bob Grimes and, of course, Songbird.
"I'm engaged to Minnie," whispered the latter to the Rovers at the first opportunity. "We are going to be married just as soon as my income will permit. And what do you think? I've sold four more poems—got eighty dollars for them," and his face beamed as they had never seen it shine before.
"I congratulate you, Songbird," returned Sam, heartily. "I certainly hope you get to be the best-known poet in the United States." ”

“ If you will make out a receipt for the amount I will give you Doctor Wallington's check."
"Humph! isn't the check receipt enough?" demanded the lawyer.
"Perhaps. But I would prefer to have a receipt showing exactly what the money is being paid for," answered Sam. "As a lawyer you must know it is best to have these things straight."
"Oh, very well. Come in and I'll write out your receipt for you," announced Belright Fogg, coldly, and ushered the pair into a sitting-room.
Sam had asked Songbird to say nothing about Blackie Crowden until the matter of the snowball injury was settled. ”

“ Brill, however, managed to reach second, while Roxley was pitched out in one-two-three order by Dudley.
"Well, Dudley held them down that time," remarked Dick Rover. "I hope he manages to keep the good work up."
"Yes, but a pitcher can't win a ball game alone," answered Chester Waltham. "You've got to have some good batters."
"Go to it, Brill! Go to it! This is your lucky inning!" yelled Tom, enthusiastically. "Get busy, everybody!"
In the eighth inning the first man up for Brill went out on a pop fly. But then came a fine hit that took the next player safely to second. ”

“ Well, I guess you can call it off then so far as my sister and I are concerned. But if you think, Rover, that you have seen the last of this affair you are mistaken," went on the young millionaire, pointedly. "You think you are going to run things to suit yourself, don't you? Well, I'll put a spoke in your wheel—a spoke that you never dreamed of! You just wait and see!" and then Chester Waltham turned back and sat down once more on his wrecked runabout, leaving Sam to walk up the road to rejoin Tom in a very thoughtful mood. ”

“ Sanderson, anxiously.
"Depends on what this young man says, Sanderson. One thing is sure; I ain't goin' to give up that ten dollars he give me—and Fogg is got to be paid somehow."
"Look here! if you want to keep the mortgage just say so," declared Tom. "It's a good mortgage and pays good interest. You can't invest your money around here to any better advantage."
"All right, then, I'll keep the mortgage," announced Henry Grisley. "But understand, young man, I'm to keep that ten dollars you give me too," he added shrewdly. ”

“ Sam had the tire about three-quarters pumped up and was working away as vigorously as his somewhat exhausted condition would permit when he heard a honking of an automobile horn, and the next moment a machine came in sight around a turn of the highway. The car was a large and powerful one of foreign make, and was driven by a young man stylishly dressed, in a full suit of furs, and wearing automobile goggles. ”

“ They talked about college and seminary matters, and then about affairs at home, and about matters in New York City.
"I just got another letter from Nellie to-day," said Grace. "She says that the apartment she and Tom have rented is perfectly lovely—every bit as nice as the one occupied by Dick and Dora."
"I'm glad they like it, Grace. But, believe me, it will be some job for Tom to settle down and be a staid married man! He was always so full of fun."
"Why, the idea, Sam Rover! Don't you think a man can be married and still keep full of fun?" ”

“ The would-be poet of the college was working hard over some of his lessons, and it was plainly to be seen that he was in anything but a good humor.
"Sanderson treated me like a dog—like a regular dog!" he burst out, in reply to Sam's question. "Why! to hear him talk you would almost think I was in league with the fellow who attacked me!"
"It's too bad, Songbird; but you shouldn't take it so much to heart. Remember, Mr. Sanderson is a very hard-working man and one who has probably never allowed another fellow to get the best of him in any kind of a deal. ”

“ The Rovers and the Lanings had engaged rooms at the leading hotel in Ashton, and arrived on the day previous to the graduation exercises at Hope.
"Tell you what, education is a great thing!" remarked Mr. John Laning when speaking of the matter to Mr. Rover. "I didn't have much of a chance at it when I was a boy—I had to go out and scrap for a living—but I'm mighty glad that I had the means to give the girls the learning they've got."
"You're right—it is a great thing," answered Mr. Anderson Rover. "I am only sorry now that Dick and Tom didn't have the chance to graduate as well as Sam. ”

“ I should hate to have anything happen to spoil this tour."
"Well, I don't think the boys treat Chester Waltham just right," returned Grace, somewhat coldly. "They treat him as if he were a stranger—an outsider," and then she, too, left the room, leaving her sister and Dora to gaze at each other questioningly.
Along the dusty road sped the touring car, Tom running as rapidly as safety would permit. Soon Fernwood was left far behind and they began to ascend a slight hill. ”

“ A half hour passed and Ada Waltham excused herself. "Chester and Grace must be having a fine ride," she observed on retiring, "otherwise they would have returned by this time."
"Maybe they had a breakdown," observed Dick. "I've been told that some of the roads around here are far from good."
"Oh, don't say that!" cried the girl. "Chester hates to have to make any repairs when he is alone. ”

“ What's that ahead?" cried Sam, pointing with his left hand. "Looks to me like somebody lying in the snow."
"It is somebody!" exclaimed his chum. "Say! do you suppose that other horse was running away, and this fellow fell out?"
"Not much, with that other fellow using the whip as he was!" returned Sam. "This fellow ahead probably had nothing to do with that other cutter. Excepting he may have been knocked down by the horse," he added suddenly.
"That's what the trouble is! That rascal knocked this fellow down and then hurried on, [31] Sam! Poor fellow! I wonder if he is much hurt?" ”

“ During that time the three kept their eyes wide open for a possible sight of Chester Waltham or anybody else who might have been carried away by the flood.
"There is somebody!" suddenly called out Dick. "A man caught in a tree!"
"Is it Waltham?" demanded Tom, quickly.
"I can't make out. He is crouched in a heap on some limbs and is waving frantically for us."
Not without additional peril did the Rovers turn the rowboat across the river, for the tree in which the man was crouching was on the shore opposite to that from which they had embarked. ”

“ Aleck Pop, the faithful old colored servant of the Rovers, was still at the farm, as was Jack Ness, the man of all work, and both did all they could to aid the boys and girls to get ready for the tour.
"It's most won'erful how you young gen'lemen has done growed up," was Aleck Pop's comment. "It don't seem no time at all sence you all was boys at Putnam Hall," and he grinned broadly, showing a mouthful of ivories. ”

“ And just to think of it, after next June, when we graduate, we'll all be scattered here, there, and everywhere, and the good old times at Brill will be a thing of the past."
"Don't mention such things," put in Stanley. "It makes me sick clean to the heels every time I think of it. But I suppose college days can't last forever. We've got to go out into the world, just as our fathers did before us."
"Yes, and I've got to get into business," answered Sam. "I want to help father, as well as Dick and Tom, all I can." ”