On returning to the house they were greeted by Fillmore, who came out at once as he saw the girls being assisted from the carriage.
“Well, I’m glad we struck you this way,” he said. “Been having a drive, eh? Hope you enjoyed it.”
“It was delightful,” said Elsie; “but I spoiled it by getting tired so soon.”
“We’re going to see ‘The School Girl’ to-night,” explained Inza; “so we decided it was better not to weary Elsie too much.”
“Oh, you’ve made arrangements for to-night, have you, Merriwell?” cried Fillmore. “I thought I might take you out to see some of the fellows this evening.”
Immediately both girls expressed a willingness to give up the theatre, but neither Frank nor Bart would listen to that.
“Then,” said Fillmore, “we can find Jack Branch this afternoon and fix it up about that game. Branch is our manager, you know. What he says will go, all right, all right. I know where to find him. He’s out at Hastings’, on the Pimlico Road. Hastings runs a road house. What say if we hike out there right away, Merriwell?”
“I’m willing,” nodded Frank. “How’ll we go?”
“Oh, any way. We can take a car, but, of course, it would be better to drive.”