Bollup turned shortly on his heel, and without another word left the room, followed by Himski.
CHAPTER IX
“Indignant Fourth Classman”
Ralph stood in the middle of his room helpless, dazed and stupefied. In a moment hot feelings surged through his heart and uncontrolled tears blinded his sight. He had lost his beautiful watch, true: this was aggravating and annoying almost beyond endurance. But as Bollup so abruptly left the room Ralph suddenly realized that Bollup believed him to be a thief. Bollup, the man he loved, his best friend in all the world! The thought was maddening. Ralph looked around helplessly, and his eye lighted upon a crumpled bit of paper in the corner of the room. It was the wrapper and box in which the watch had been sent. He seized this and was about to rush out when Creelton entered.
“Hello, Os,” he said, in his bright, cheery way; “what’s up? Why, old chap, what’s the matter with you?”
“Everything is the matter,” cried Ralph. “Come along with me; I need you.” Ralph clutched him by the arm and hurried him down the corridor, much to the astonishment of Creelton. In a moment Ralph had thrown open the door of Bollup’s room, and still having Creelton by the arm, rushed in.
“It’s awful to think such a thing of Os, but what can I believe?” Bollup was saying to a group of his classmates, composed of Himski, Taylor and Streeter. All were much disturbed and excited in manner.
“Bollup, you think I stole your watch!” exclaimed Ralph, bursting into the conversation. “Can you imagine a thief would show you the watch he had stolen from you, pretending it was a present from his uncle? Look at that paper and box,” and Ralph threw them on the table before Bollup. “That’s what my watch came in this morning. It was registered, you can see for yourself. Creel saw the watch and the letter and knows I received the watch. He saw me open the package and take it out. Ask him; I haven’t spoken to him about it since I saw you.”
“What’s all this about?” asked Creelton, bewildered.
“It’s just this, Creel,” interrupted Himski; “Os told Bollup and me he had received a watch from his Uncle George, and went to get the watch out of his locker to show it to us: and it happened to be the watch that had been stolen from Bollup. Os went to get the letter he said he had received from his Uncle George but couldn’t find it, and he doesn’t know his uncle’s address. Do you know anything about the watch Os claims to have received?”