“Some day, perhaps, you’ll find out your mistake,” said the cadet, and then, with tears of anguish and indignation standing in his eyes he left the office and ran up the stairs to the dormitory occupied by himself and several others.
Left to himself, Captain Putnam leaned his elbow on his desk and rested his head in his hand.
“These boys! These boys!” he murmured to himself. “I hardly know whether to believe them or not—they are up to so many tricks! Grenwood looks honest enough, and yet—you never can tell!” And he heaved a deep sigh. He was beginning to learn that after all, running a boarding school was not such an easy thing as he had at first supposed. He wanted to do what was just,—but he hated to be imposed upon.
CHAPTER VI
THE NEW TEACHER
The first person the ex-quartermaster encountered upstairs was Jack.
“Hello, Bob,” cried the young major. “Just the person I want to see.”
“I—I—some other time, Ruddy,” stammered the youth, whose eyes were full of tears.
“See here, Bob, what’s your hurry? Anything special on?” And now Jack caught the other boy affectionately by the shoulder.
“I—I am going to leave this school!” was the bitter response. “Captain Putnam hasn’t treated me fairly. I didn’t distribute those blanks, I am certain of it—and I didn’t have anything to do with rough-housing the Hall, either!”
“Who said you played rough-house here?”