But the other only shook his head sadly.

"I don't believe I ever can, Frank, until I've had my chance to go down
there and make a good try to find all that is left of my poor
father. Just as you say, it seems almost silly to think that I could
ever succeed, but no matter, I've got it arranged in my mind and the
colonel is coming around slowly."

"Well," Frank hastened to declare, "you know if it ever does get to the
point that you do go down to make that search, I'm with you. My father
would never throw any obstacle in the way, I'm dead sure. And Andy, of
course we'd take our aeroplane along. Think how many trips we could
make in her over country that no one could ever penetrate on foot."

Andy was too full for further words. He simply turned and squeezed the
hand of his cousin; but the look of affection which he gave Frank told
what was in his mind just then.

Frank watched him go spinning along the road and then with a sigh turned
into the house.

The day had been replete with excitement for him. First there was the
keenly contested game with their rivals across the lake and a tie in the
ninth inning, which gave the Bloomsbury boys a chance to win out in the
tenth. His pitching had held the enemy safe, and in their half of the
inning Frank had made the hit that brought the game to a conclusion. As
a rule the home club took the last chance at the bat, but the Cranford
manager had chosen differently on this occasion, for some reason of his
own, and with disastrous results.