“Well, that’s what we’re trying to find out. We have some workmen looking over the ruins to see what repairs we will have to make. There’s quite a hole in the roof.”
“Will it interfere with the opening of school next week?” asked Bart.
“Do you wish it would?” asked Mr. Williamson.
The boys laughed, for the president had read their thoughts.
“We hope not,” Mr. Williamson went on. “By the way, you boys know almost everything that goes on in Darewell? Did you happen to hear of any one carrying off one of the clock dials? We can only find three in the ruins, and there were four.”
“I took one home with me last night,” said Frank promptly. “I wanted it for a relic. I hope there was no harm in that.”
“None in the world, if you still have it,” said Mr. Williamson. “You see we are trying to find out just what caused the tower to be blown down by the wind, and we want all the evidence we can get. Just keep the dial safely and, the next time you come up toward my store, leave it for me. You may have it back again after we are through with it, for we’ll have to have a whole new clock I expect.”
“Wonder what he expects to find from the clock face?” asked Ned, as the boys went back on the campus to get another look at the fallen tower.
“Probably wants to look into its open countenance and ask questions about how it feels to be blown down,” Bart replied.
“I hadn’t any idea they’d want that piece of the clock, or I’d never have taken it,” said Frank. “Lucky I saved it, or someone else might have carried it off and they’d never get it again.”