School had closed for the day less than half an hour when Grant, chancing to look out, saw the sturdy figure of Ben Stone hurrying up the path toward Miss Kent’s house. The young Texan met Ben at the door.
“Come in,” he invited, and the invitation was readily accepted.
“You didn’t show up at the academy this afternoon,” said Ben when they were in Grant’s room.
“No; I had a reason for staying away, but you can reckon on it that I’ll be there to-morrow.”
“Something happened,” said Stone—“something I want to tell you about.”
“Go ahead; I’m listening.”
“Of course the fellows had lots to say about the way you did Barker up, but I didn’t come to talk about that.”
“For which I’m plenty thankful.”
“Something happened that gave a setback to the fellows who thought it was you that squealed about that hazing. Cooper, who is usually up to something, brought two live mice in a trap. Prof. Richardson is as scared of mice as any woman could be, and Chipper wanted to put them into the professor’s desk. Piper, who always seems to have a key to fit anything, had one that would unlock the desk. You know how Sleuth prides himself on his keen and searching eyes. Well, in the desk he discovered a letter that had been sent to the professor, and he recognized the handwriting on it. Of course he didn’t have any right to look at it, but he did just the same—he read it and kept it, too, to show to the fellows. It stirred up something sure enough, for it told all about that hazing and the breaking of the professor’s skeleton, giving the names of every fellow who took part in that piece of business. The writer of that letter reminded the professor of his promise to protect any one who should tell him the truth.”
“What a sneaking piece of business to do!” exclaimed Rod.