The last one was in his hand, and he hesitated a moment before opening it, as if he dreaded to have his hopes blasted by not finding it to be the one he sought.
At length, with a half-desperate, half-resigned air, he unfolded it.
The instant his eyes caught sight of its contents his whole face lighted up with sudden joy.
It was the long-lost and long-searched-for paper!
“Ah!” he whispered to himself, with a deep sigh of relief. “Now I begin to feel like a man once more!”
Hastily unfolding it and concealing it about his person, he replaced the other papers, and laid the clothing back as he had found it. Then picking up the candle, he returned as noiselessly to his room as he had come, where after carefully replacing the board he had removed, he had retired to bed and slept soundly until morning.
CHAPTER XII.
TRAPPED.
The day following broke clear, bright and beautiful, and at an early hour a vast crowd was assembled in the great hall of —— Institute.
It was commencement day! That day so dreaded, while at the same time it possesses a strange fascination to every one who attains the position of a graduate.
The examination exercises of the few days past had passed off satisfactorily alike to professor and pupil; and now the last day of all, the great day, had arrived, that was to give to the class of faithful students, the honors they had so valiantly battled for, and so bravely won!