At the boy’s reply Ned was as much aroused as his caller, and seizing Carlton by the shoulders he demanded: “How do you know? Say that again! Be careful now!”
“It’s just as I told you,” said Carlton.
“Say it again,” demanded Ned sharply.
“I was feeling lonesome,” began Carlton obediently, “and I wanted to be alone. I went over to those bushes back of the library and just stretched myself on the ground there behind them. While I was lying there Gus Kiggins and Walter Borden came along and sat down on that bench the other side of the lilac bushes.”
“How did you know who it was?”
“I peeked. I was just going to try to crawl away without being seen when I heard Gus say, ‘We’ll fix the pious fraud.’”
“Go on. What did Walter say?”
“He said, ‘I hate to do it, Gus.’”
“Did Gus say what he wanted Walter to do?”