by Captain Putnam.

Josiah Crabtree was a tall, slim individual, with a sharp face
and a very long nose. During the past term at Putnam Hall he had
been very dictatorial to the Rover boys, and it must be confessed
that they had made life anything but a bed of roses for him.
Crabtree had been very desirous of marrying a certain widow by
the name of Stanhope, but the marriage was opposed by Dora, the
widow's daughter, and as Dick was rather sweet on Dora, he had
done all he could to aid the girl in breaking off the match, even
going so far as to send Crabtree a bogus letter which had taken
the teacher out to Chicago on a hunt for a position in a private
college that had never existed. Dick knew that Crabtree was
comparatively poor and wished to marry the widow so that he could
get his hands on the fortune which the lady held in trust for her
only child.

"It is Crabtree," said Dick, as he gave a look.

"I wonder how he liked his trip to Chicago?" laughed Sam.
"Perhaps the Mid-West National College didn't suit his lofty
ideas."

"Hush! don't let him hear you talk of that," returned Dick. "He
might get us into trouble."

"What kind of soup, sah?" interrupted the waiter, and then they
broke off to give their order, and the waiter hurried off to fill
it.