"I thought you were coming next week?" exclaimed Page.
"Well, I found I'd nothing better to do than run down here. What's that you're looking at?"
The boys explained the matter to him, and in his slow way he admitted that if they were sophomores it would be quite possible to utilize this secret door in the course of hazing freshmen.
"As we're not in the hazing business now," he said, "I can't see any use for the place, Page, except for you to hide in when your creditors call."
"Huh!" retorted Page, "it's my habit to keep my bills paid."
"It'll make you unpopular if the fellows know that."
"I was telling Page," said Merriwell, "that if I had the room I'd take down that door entirely, get some andirons and burn a log of wood on a winter evening."
"That's a good scheme," returned Browning, "but if I should do anything of that kind I should never get a stroke of work done here; this room was never meant to study in, but it's an ideal loafing place."
With this he threw himself upon one of the window seats and looked out. The others took places on the other windows and for a few minutes their conversation turned upon college topics.
Then Browning, who was a little restless, as most students are immediately after a vacation, said he would have to be going. Page urged him to wait, but he shook his head.