The girl brought with her some news that interested Dave deeply.

It was to the effect that the ranch next to that of the Endicotts was owned by a Mr.Felix Merwell, the father of Link Merwell, one of Dave's bitterest enemies at Oak Hall.

Link had met Laura out there and gotten her to correspond with him.
"It's too bad, Laura; I wish you hadn't done it," Dave had said on learning the news.

"It may make trouble, for Merwell is no gentleman." And trouble it did make, as the readers of "Dave Porter and His Classmates" know.

The trouble went from bad to worse, and not only were Laura and Dave involved, but also pretty Jessie Wadsworth and several of Dave's school chums.