“This is very strange,” said Rodney, looking at his accuser with puzzled eyes. “I know nothing whatever of the cloak and can’t imagine how it got into my room.”
“Perhaps it walked there,” said Mr. Goodnow satirically.
Rodney colored, for he understood that his employer did not believe him.
“May I go to my room,” he asked, “and bring back the bundle with me?”
Observing that Mr. Goodnow hesitated he added, “You can send Some one with me to see that I don’t spirit away the parcel, and come back with it.”
“On these conditions you may go. Redwood, send some one with Ropes.”
Rodney followed the chief of his department back to the cloak room, and the latter, after a moments thought, summoned Jasper.
“Jasper,” he said, “Ropes is going to his room to get a parcel which belongs to the store. You may go with him.”
There was a flash of satisfaction in Jasper’s eyes as he answered with seeming indifference, “All right! I will go. I shall be glad to have a walk.”
As the two boys passed out of the store, Jasper asked, “What does it mean, Ropes?”