“Oh! I know those fellows,” said Hans. “I’ll see you Monday, and if I don’t have any other trouble but confidence men, it will be easy.”
But when Hal was going out to chapel the next morning whom should he meet on the doorstep but Hans with his grip in his hand, and looking glum and discouraged.
“What! did they get you so soon as all this?” asked Hal.
“Oh! don’t talk to me any more about the delights of New York,” answered Hans, and that was all Hal could get out of him about his trip for nearly three days.
By Sunday evening, though, things began to thaw out with Hans. The boys were both in Hagner’s room, writing their weekly letters home, telling the folks all about the troubles of the past few days, and also some of the good things that had happened during the week.
Hans had finished his letter with a sigh, as he evidently wasn’t quite over his New York experience, and had leaned his head back against the cushions in the Morris chair and was thinking. All at once he said, “I have a letter here from my sister which I got yesterday, but haven’t opened yet, because it probably has a lot in it about my trip to New York, and I don’t care to hear any more about that.”
“Better read it,” said Hal. “It isn’t fair to people who write you letters not to at least read them.”
“I suppose I’ll have to read it some time,” said Hans, and he opened the letter and started to read it. Hal went on with his writing for a while undisturbed, and then he heard Hans begin to chuckle to himself. From chuckling he turned to laughing to himself and finally to laugh out loud. Then he said, “Well, I guess it depends altogether on how you put it. This letter from my sister tells something about my trip to New York. It puts it in an altogether different light than I had thought of it before, and come to think of it, it’s really funny, after it is all over.”
“I’ve been dying to ask you what happened,” said Hal, “but your face during the past three days has been dark enough to keep anyone from asking questions. I suppose father’s friends from way back home got you anyhow.”