"But come upstairs."
As Dick entered their little parlor he was dimly aware that the
High School principal was in the room. But the boy's whole gaze
was centered on a quiet little man---Hemingway, the plain clothes
man from the police station.
"Don't look scared to death, Prescott," urged Dr. Thornton, with
a faint attempt at a smile. "We want to go through with a little
formality---that is all. This matter at the High School has
puzzled me to such a degree that I left early today and went to
consult with Mr. Hemingway. Now, he thought it best that we come
around here and have a talk with you."
"I can begin that talk best," pursued Hemingway, "by asking you,
Prescott, whether you have anything that you want to say first-off?"
"I can't say anything," replied Dick, slowly, "except that I know
nothing as to how any of the articles missed at school came to
vanish. Ripley's pin was found in my pocket today, and I can
only guess that some one---Ripley, perhaps dropped it in my pocket.
Ripley has some feelings of enmity for me, anyway. We had a
fight last week, and---" Dick could not repress a smile---"I thrashed
him so that he was out of school for several days."
"But Ripley was not at school for the last few days, until today,"
broke in Dr. Thornton. "Now, a pin and a watch were missed while
Ripley was not attending school."
"I know it, sir," Dick nodded. "As to those two articles I cannot
offer even the ghost of an explanation."
"I don't like to accuse you of taking Ripley's scarf-pin, nor
do I like to suspect him of putting up such a contemptible trick,"
explained Dr.
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