"Why, mother," he said to his wife, "whatever will you and the gals do
with the money?"

"Several things, John," she answered. "In the first place, you are not
going to work so hard and in the next place the girls are going to
have a better education."

"Well, I'm not afraid of work," answered the farmer. "About
eddication, if they want it--well, it's their money and they can have
all the learnin' they want."

"Dora is going to a boarding school and Nellie and Grace want to go
with her," went on Mrs. Laning.

"Where is Dora going?"

"To a place called Hope Seminary. Her mother knows the lady who is the
principal."

"Well, if it's a good place, I reckon the gals can go too. But it will
be terrible lonesome here without 'em."

"I know, John, but we want the girls to be somebody, now they have
money, don't we?"

"Sure we do," answered Mr. Laning readily.

So it was arranged that the three girls should go to Hope Seminary,
located several miles from the town of Ashton, in one of the Central
States. In the meantime the Rover boys were speculating on what