Frank Roscoes Secret | Page 4

to say. As for Stumpy, he was just
the sort of a lad his name indicated. Happy, healthy, hearty and with a
fund of good nature that nothing could daunt.
Frank Roscoe was rather different from his chums, but they were very
fond of him. Spite of his occasional fits of strangeness. Frank had lived
with his uncle as long as he could remember. He had never known his
father or mother, and his uncle never spoke of them. In case Frank
asked any question concerning his parents, Mr. Dent would manage to
turn the conversation into some other channel.
There seemed to be some secret hanging over Frank. What it was he
did not know himself. Nor did his chums. They only knew that, at times,
it made him gloomy and morose, and they never referred to it in Frank's
presence, because they did not want to hurt his feelings.

Those of you who have read the previous books of this series do not
need to be introduced to Ned and his chums, but for the benefit of the
boys and girls who get this volume first it may be well to tell something
of the two previous ones that they may better understand our story.
In the first, called "The Heroes of the School," was told how the four
lads succeeded in solving a rather queer mystery. They were going
through the woods one day when they met a man behaving very oddly.
From then on they were mixed up in a series of queer happenings,
which only ended in some events that followed a trip in a captive
balloon that broke away and took them above the clouds.
In the second volume, "Ned Wilding's Disappearance," there was told
of the things that followed Ned's visit to New York. Ned undertook to
put through a small financial deal on his own account, and the
consequences, which were not his own fault at all. Made him a fugitive
from the police, as he thought. His chums, coming to the city to pay
him a visit, could not find him. Ned was located under peculiar
circumstances, through the aid of a waif whom the boys befriended and
saved from freezing to death in the snow.
After locating Ned the chums came home, to find they were much in
the public eye. When they left they were under suspicion of having
blown up the school tower with dynamite, but it was discovered that
another youth had done this, and the chums were not only cleared, but
the president of the Board of Education, who had cast suspicion on
them, publicly apologized.
The chums had resumed their studies at the High School after the tower
had been repaired, and had made good progress through the spring term.
It was now summer, and the long vacation was close at hand.
Monday morning, following the sensational winning of the game by
Ned Wilding, saw the four chums assembled on the school campus,
waiting for the ringing of the gong that would call all the pupils to their
classes. It was almost time to go in, when Sandy Merton, a former
enemy of the chums, but who had become a friend because of a favor
received, approached Bart. Sandy had left school because of a dispute

he and Bart had had over a ball game, but had returned for the spring
term.
"I've got something to tell you," Sandy said.
"I'm listening," Bart replied.
"I can't tell you here," Sandy went on, with a look about him. "I don't
want any of the Upside Down boys to hear."
"Oh, ho!" said Bart softly. "Something in the wind, eh?"
"I think there is," Sandy replied. "I'll meet you after school down by the
boathouse."
"I'll be there," Bart answered. "Don't say anything to any of the others."
Sandy promised; and then the gong rang and the boys and girls hurried
into the school. All that morning Bart was wondering what Sandy had
to tell him. That it had to do with the dinner the nine intended to hold
was his belief, but he did not see how the first-year lads had found out
about it so soon.
"If they're up to any tricks," said Bart softly, "I think we can play two
to their one. Let 'em try; it's all in the game."
"Let's go for a swim, Bart," proposed Ned, when school had been
dismissed for the day. "Frank and Fenn are going."
"Where you going?" asked Bart.
"Up by the Riffles, of course," the "Riffles" being a place in the Still
river where the boys frequently congregated. Near the Riffles, which
were a series of shallow places in the stream, was the swimming hole
and a little further up was a good place to fish.
"I'll