"Don't you think there are some very peculiar circumstances connected with your discovery of Sheldon's supposed plagiarism, Herring? It strikes me that there are."
Herring said nothing, but looked very surly, and the doctor went on.
"Does it not strike you as peculiar that you should have a week old paper in your pocket at the very time we were to pronounce upon the poems submitted by the students? And also that you had not noticed these verses before when they were published in a town paper? You can imitate different hand writings, can't you?" the doctor suddenly broke off.
Herring flushed, but said nothing.
"You have never liked Sheldon," said the doctor, going on to another side of the subject, "and have tried to injure him in many ways. This is known to all the Hilltop boys. Would it not be natural, therefore, that you would try to throw discredit on him at this time?"
"It would not do me any good," muttered the other. "I did not compete for the prize."
"I know you did not, but your dislike of Sheldon might induce you to endeavor to injure his reputation. Don't you think you went very clumsily to work about it?"
"You are assuming that I did this thing," growled Herring. "What proof have you that I did? Suppose I should deny it?"
"Do you?" asked the doctor pointedly.
"There haven't been any direct charges brought against me as yet, only hints and innuendoes," growled the other. "Sheldon has not accused me of anything, and he is the one most interested. What is it to me if a woman up the state stole his poem? I didn't."