He was not looking for boys to punish, but for the solution of the problem, and the clearing of the good name of the Club. Taking out a large sheet of paper, he wrote in big letters for the notice board in the library reading room:
"Boys of St. Leonard's Club:
This is an appeal to the boys who have the good name of the Club, and their own at heart. I want no boy to tell on another. But I do request that the perpetrators of that act of wanton destruction declare themselves to me at once. You know my ways, and that I am the first to make every allowance and to see fair play. I await in the office a response to this notice this very night.
Jerome Boone."
The first boy to read the notice was Ned Mullen. "Whew!" he exclaimed, with a long whistle. He ran into the games-room, "Hey, fellows, see what's up—some notice—riot act!"
At first they paid no attention to him, saying merely, "Quit your guying, kid."
But as he shouted out, "Frank, Tom, Dick, come see the board, a real live circus is in town," they all dropped their games, and trooped into the reading room.
"Gee!" was the exclamation from every throat.
"That's news."
"What row is that?"