“I suppose there won’t be any seat for me by the time I get aboard,” he grumbled to the driver.
“Ain’t my fault,” answered the stage driver calmly. “If you don’t want to stand, you can wait until the next trip.”
“I haven’t time to wait. I’ll crowd in somehow,” grumbled Asa Lemm.
While this was going on, Andy and Randy had come up close behind the professor. Both were wondering if they could not play some sort of trick on him before he departed.
The newsstand was similar to many of that kind, and on two sides of it were long rows of periodicals, fastened by clips to a wire held in place by small hooks. Watching his chance, Andy unfastened the end of one of these wires, and motioned to his twin to unhook the other end.
“Now I guess we’ll fix Mr. Asa Lemm!” muttered Andy, and with a quick move he came up behind the former teacher of Colby Hall and twisted one end of the wire around a back button of Asa Lemm’s cutaway coat.
By this time all of the others had gotten into the stage, and, being somewhat in a hurry, the driver made a move as if to start away.
“Hi there! Wait till I get in!” shouted Asa Lemm and threw his bags and his bundle into the stage. Then he got on to the stage step and the driver started off.
“Hello, look at that!”