“Do you think we can track Jasniff and Merwell?” asked the senator’s son, during the course of the repast.
“I don’t,” answered Dave frankly. “For they will do their best to keep out of our way.”
A little later found Dave, Phil, and Roger in the doctor’s private study, a sort of library connected with his regular office. The head of Oak Hall was reading a German historical work, but laid the volume down as they filed in.
“Sit down, boys,” said Doctor Clay, pleasantly, and when they were seated, he added: “Now kindly tell me all you know about Merwell and Jasniff.”
“Do you want to know everything, Doctor?” asked Dave, in some surprise.
“Yes,—and later on, I’ll tell you why.”
“All right,” answered the youth from Crumville, and he told of the many things that had happened, both at the school and at home—not forgetting about the auto ride in which Laura and Jessie were supposed to have participated.
“It all fits in!” cried Doctor Clay, drawing a deep sigh. He tapped the table with the tips of his fingers. “I wonder where it will end?” he mused, half to himself.
“You said that Merwell and Jasniff were worse than we imagined,” suggested Dave, to draw the doctor out.
“So I did, Porter. I will tell you boys something, but please do not let it go any further. Since Jasniff and Merwell became pupils at Rockville Military Academy and since they ran away from that institution they have been doing everything they could think of to annoy me. They have sent farmers here with produce that I never ordered, and have had publishers send me schoolbooks that I did not want. Worse than that, they have circulated reports to my scholars’ parents that this school was running down, that it was in debt, and that some pupils were getting sick because the sewerage system was out of order. Some of the parents have written to me, and two were on the point of taking their boys away, thinking the reports were true. Fortunately I was able to prove the reports false, and the boys remained here. But I do not know how far these slanders are being circulated and what the effect will be in the future.”