“That’s what I thought,” said Hal. “I am going right down there and tell the whole story. That will let me out, except that I may have to make another trip to Boston.”
“I’ll go along,” said Hans.
So they went on down. They didn’t see any policeman around outside. Inside they found Mr. Williams, the treasurer, who came to meet them. Hal told him that they had heard the police were trying to locate a fellow who had asked one of them to direct him to a pawnshop yesterday. He was the fellow, and he said he wanted to tell all about it, which he did.
Mr. Williams was impressed with the straightforwardness of his story and told him he needn’t worry about it. He felt sure it wasn’t any student that had stolen the medal. Only they had to run down this clew and he was sorry he had been annoyed. Hal told him he would like some one to go to the pawnbroker in Boston and verify what he had said about his visit there just to remove any possibility of suspicion that anyone might have against him on that account. He knew, of course, it would prove to be as he said, and that was the only space of time he was alone while in Boston. Without doing this, people might suspect that both Hans and himself, having made such an unusual trip to Boston together so soon after the robbery occurred, were in it and he didn’t want anything left undone to prove that neither of them was in any way connected with the matter or subject to suspicion.
Hal left with Hans, very much relieved. Not that he had anything to be worried over, but the way the matter had come about had upset him more than he himself could tell, and now that he had explained himself fully, his feelings again became normal, and he went about his work of the day in a much better frame of mind than he had enjoyed since he had the accident.
[CHAPTER X]
UNDER SUSPICION
The theft of the medal was of course the all-absorbing topic at all places where students came together. Hal’s explanation of his intended flight and the causes which made him want to know where the pawnshop was, brought to an end the clew which the authorities had thought would quickly locate the thief. There seemed to be absolutely no way to trace the culprit.
A week passed and Hal’s foot became better and he was able to resume his practice with the team.