“Yes, but if he had so much time why did he pull things around so in the drawer? Or why didn’t he fix them back the way he found them? He might have known that you’d notice and get suspicious and miss the money.”
“Probably didn’t think about that. Oh, well, I’ve got to go down and see Old Tarbox. Come along and give your evidence, old son. He will ask a lot of questions, I suppose.”
“Maybe you could make it clearer if you went alone.”
“Well, he’d want to question you anyway, sooner or later. Come on.”
So Jim went. Mr. Tarbot, whose suite of study, bedroom and bath was the first on the right from the dormitory entrance, bade them enter when Clem had knocked on the half-open door and the two filed in. The instructor was reading in a deep chair set close to a window, but at sight of Jim he suddenly sat up straight. “I’ve been watching for you, Todd,” he announced briskly. “Some one telephoned about ten minutes ago from the Police Station. I didn’t understand who he was. One of the officers, I fancy. He said I was to ask you to come over there directly you got in. He didn’t say what was wanted. I hope your conscience is clear, my boy.” Mr. Tarbot smiled to show that he was joking, but behind the smile one might have detected anxiety. Jim stared incredulously for an instant. Then his face clouded suddenly.
“I’ll go right away, sir,” he replied.
Mr. Tarbot nodded and picked up his book again. Clem, his mission forgotten for the moment, followed Jim to the corridor. “What the dickens do you suppose they want?” he asked with lively curiosity. Jim shook his head. “Well, I’ll go along and see you through,” chuckled Clem. “Nothing like having a friend at court, old son!”
Jim stopped at the bottom of the steps and shook his head again. “You needn’t come, Clem,” he said. “You’d better see Tarbot about—”
“Oh, that can wait. This is a lot more exciting. Go? You bet I’ll go. Why, I may have to bail you out!”
After an instant of indecision Jim went on and Clem fell in beside him, chattering animatedly to apparently deaf ears. Jim looked troubled, and by the time they were half-way toward the main gate Clem noted the fact and, after a second puzzled glance at his companion, said: “Look here, old son, if you’d really rather I didn’t go along I won’t.”