“I believe you discovered more than you have told me while in that saloon!” exclaimed Hodge eagerly. “I believe you are convinced of Hooker’s guilt!”
“Not thoroughly convinced.”
But, by these words, Frank had as much as admitted that he was partly convinced, and that was enough to satisfy Hodge.
“You are weakening!” he cried; “and you would never do that if you did not feel that the fellow was guilty. Now, Merry, I believe you can understand how we felt when you attempted to bring this crooked chap into our set.”
“What bothers me,” said Frank, “is that Hooker could be known so certainly to be crooked and still continue as a student at Yale. It is remarkable.”
“Without doubt, there are other fellows in college who are no better than he, but they have not been spotted.”
“I don’t like to think so! I don’t like to think that any man who is living among us here, with all the refining and ennobling influences of the old college to work for his upbuilding, can be no better than a common sneak-thief.”
“You must have seen Hooker rob somebody in the saloon, or you would not admit that he is a common sneak-thief.”
“I did not see that.”
“Well, you saw something that came pretty near settling the matter with you. But there are other fellows just as bad as Hooker.”