“No, sir, it isn’t,” answered Dick positively. “You can see the difference yourself.”
“Perhaps, but frequently one unconsciously alters the appearance of his writing when addressing a letter. One uses rather more care in an effort toward legibility, Bates. At least, the two writings are much alike, aren’t they?”
“Yes, sir, in a general way. But I never make a capital K like that. I don’t think I could. And the A isn’t much like mine either.”
“I see. Now in this letter, Bates, there seems to have been a good deal about football. At the bottom here I read: ‘call this the Two-Over and use it only when other fellow is playing his backs well out.’ That refers, I presume, to the tackle-and-half-over play that we’ve been using in practice lately.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Who were you writing to Bates?”
“Sumner White, sir. He’s captain of our high school team at home.”
“And home is somewhere in Pennsylvania?”
“Leonardville. You see——”
“One moment, please, Bates. Have you been in the habit of writing to this fellow White about our plays?”