“Oh, Tom, how did you do it?” cried Nellie, hysterically.

“Oh, it was not much to do—­ anybody could have done it,” replied the youth.  “Say, what am I to do with her?” he added, indicating the burden on his shoulder.

“This way, please,” said the teacher who had taken charge of matters, and she led the way out on the campus and to a bench on which some of the girls had piled their fancy pillows.  Here Miss Harrow was made as comfortable as possible.

By this time a third fire engine had arrived, and more streams were directed on the flames.  The ladder was used by some of those at the nozzle of one of the hose lines, and by this means the fire in the wing of the main building was quickly extinguished.  Nothing could be done towards saving what was left of the barn, so the firemen directed all their efforts towards keeping the conflagration from spreading.

“Well, it’s about out,” said Sam, a little later.  “Some mess, though, believe me!”

“Oh, I am so thankful it was not worse!” murmured Grace.  “Suppose it had burned down the main building!”

“Tom, you’re a hero!” cried Spud, coming up.

“Nothing of the sort,” retorted Tom.  “Anybody could have done what I did, and you know it.”

“All the same, you’re the one who did it,” answered Spud, admiringly.

“He certainly did,” said one of the men in the crowd.  “That teacher ought to be mighty thankful for what he did for her.”

“I don’t want her thanks,” added Tom, in a low voice.  “All I want her to do, is to treat Nellie fairly.”

CHAPTER XII

 Tom Speaks his mind

“Tom, Miss Harrow would like to see you.”

It was an hour later, and the Rovers and the Laning girls had spent the time in watching the efforts of the others to put out the last of the fire.  In the meanwhile, some of those present had gone through the addition to the main building and opened the various windows and doors, thus letting out the smoke.  An examination proved that the damage done there was very slight, for which the seminary authorities were thankful.

“Wants to see me, eh?” returned Tom, musingly.  “Well, I don’t know whether I want to see her or not.”

“You might as well go, Tom, and have it over with,” suggested Sam.

“If I go, I want Nellie to go along,” returned the brother.  “I want her to know how I stand on this missing-ring question.  By the way, how is she, all right?” continued the youth, addressing Stanley, who had brought the news that he was wanted.

“She seems to he all right, although she is very nervous.  She says the reason she didn’t hear the alarm and get out of the building in time, was because she had had a toothache and had taken a strong dose of medicine to quiet her nerves.  Evidently the medicine put her into a sound sleep.”