“Is anybody dead?” demanded Phil.
“No, it’s—er—the sofa,” explained Frank. “I just put that on so nobody would sit on it by mistake until it was dry. Come on, now, Tom will be here pretty soon. Let’s get ready for him. Have we got enough to eat?”
“I should hope so,” replied Sid, looking at the numerous packages, and then rather suspiciously at the sofa.
Tom was due to arrive about eight o’clock, and a little crowd of his friends was at the station to meet the train.
“Everything all right?” greeted Frank, as the tall pitcher stepped to the platform.
“Yes, we’re all ready for the lawsuit now, though I can’t say how it’s coming out. How are things here?”
“Fine,” replied Holly Cross. “We’re going to blow you—it’s Frank’s surprise.” And forthwith they escorted the returned one to college.
It required no little ingenuity on the part of the lads to get to the room of the inseparables unchallenged, but it was finally accomplished.
“For the love of mustard, what’s that?” demanded Tom, as he saw the sheeted sofa.