“It’s a mighty rotten set up just the same—and—by jingoes something should be done about it. Something—er—say, Jeff, this is a matter for we students to take a hand in. By jingoes, we’ve got to find the cowards who are responsible and show them up. I’m for that. I’ll get Buck Hart and Rabbit Warren and Lafe Gammage and Honey Wiggins and a couple others and we’ll find the skunk who did it or—”
“No. Don’t do that, Wade. Don’t—”
“Tut-tut, Little One. You haven’t got a word to say. I’m going to run this end of it. Not a word now. I’ll tell you all about it after the thing is all over,” said Wade.
And in spite of Jeff’s best efforts to persuade his roommate not to interfere Wade took it upon himself to spread the news of what had happened among all of Jeff’s friends, and organize his special little committee of students who were to take it upon themselves to smoke out the fellow or fellows behind the “frame up” as they chose to call it. Indeed, Wade worked so well that by the end of the afternoon session the committee’s plans were all laid, but he refused to divulge anything to Jeff.
But during the afternoon a new development entered the situation, which, while it helped matters a little, did not tend to remove all suspicion from Jeff. At about the time the baseball men were gathering at the gym. for the regular afternoon practice word was sent to Jeff’s room to report to Dr. Livingston again. He was quick to obey the summons and at the office he found Professor Hatfield in conference with Dr. Livingston.
“Thatcher,” said Dr. Livingston, “Professor Hatfield has just shed some light on the unpleasant situation we were discussing this morning, and while it does not entirely clear you from having the Latin examination paper in your possession it does absolve you and every other boy in the school from the breach of school honor in entering Room 44. Professor Hatfield has charge of that room, as you know, and he is the custodian of the examination papers. He tells me that yesterday at noon he entered the room and took a copy of the Freshman Latin examination away with him, putting it in his inside pocket, so he believed. But when he went to look for it late last night he discovered that it was gone. He has tried to trace back in his memory how he might have been responsible for its disappearance and he has come to the conclusion that he must have lost it out of his pocket while crossing the campus. That explains the paper missing from Room 44 and it removes any suspicion that you or any one else had broken the school’s code of honor and entered Room 44 without permission. Now, then, Thatcher, that brings me to the point of asking you more questions and I want you on your honor as a gentleman to answer me truthfully and take your punishment if punishment is coming to you.”
“Dr. Livingston, I am always truthful, and I have always taken whatever punishment is coming to me in a manly fashion, I believe,” said Jeff.
“Yes, I think you have,” said the Headmaster.
“What questions do you want to ask me, then?” asked Jeff.
“Did you find the paper Professor Hatfield lost?” asked Dr. Livingston.