It was a five-dollar bill on the Park Bank of New York, as he had already told the boys.

"Now, Mr. Washburn," asked Wilkins, trying to repress his excitement, "will you examine the back of the bill, and see if there is any mark on it."

The jeweler did as requested, and announced, after slight examination, that there was a cross on the back of the bill in the upper right hand corner.

"Hurrah!" shouted Ben, impulsively.

To the wondering jeweler he explained his precise object in the inquiry he had made, and the boys were complimented by Mr. Washburn for their shrewdness.

"If I ever meet with a loss, I shall certainly call on you for a.s.sistance, boys," he said.

"Thank you, Mr. Washburn," answered Wilkins, "but I do not expect to be here to be called upon."

"You are not going to leave the inst.i.tute, are you?"

"I shall write to my father in what manner I have been treated, and let him understand how the princ.i.p.al manages the school, and I feel sure he will withdraw me."

"Ditto for me!" said Ben Platt. "Old Sock's partiality for his nephew has been carried too far, and now that the only decent teacher is going--Mr. Crabb--I don't mean, to stay here if I can help it."

The boys, upon their return to the school, sought out the princ.i.p.al.

"Well, boys," he said, "have you come to confess?"

"No, sir," answered Ben, "but we have come to give you some information about your money."

"I was sure you knew something about it," said Socrates, with a sneer.

"I am glad you have decided to make a clean breast of it."

"You are mistaken, sir."

"Well, out with your information!" said the princ.i.p.al, roughly.

"A five-dollar bill, marked as you have described, was paid to Mr.

Washburn, the jeweler, only yesterday."

"Ha! Well?"

"The one who offered it purchased a gold ring."

"I don't care what he bought. Who was it that offered the money?"

"Your nephew, James Smith!"

"I don't believe it," said the teacher, very much disconcerted.

"Then, sir, I advise you to question Mr. Washburn."

"How can he identify the bill? Is it the only five-dollar bill he has?"

"The only five-dollar bill on the Park Bank of New York, and he says he noticed that this was the bank that issued the bill handed him by your nephew."

"What of that?"

"The note, which he still has in his possession, is marked just exactly as you have described."

"It may have been marked since it came into Mr. Washburn's hands," said Socrates, but he was evidently very much disturbed by the intelligence.

He might not confess it, but he could not help believing that Jim was the thief, after all.

"You can go," he said, harshly. "I will look into this improbable story."

CHAPTER XXV. SMITH INSt.i.tUTE GROWS UNPOPULAR.

Hector lost no time in drawing up a statement of the facts connected with the loss of the wallet, which he got Wilkins and Ben Platt to sign.

This he put into an envelope directed to Allan Roscoe, accompanied by a brief note, which I subjoin:

"MR. ROSCOE: I send you a statement, signed by two of my schoolmates, showing that the charge which Mr. Smith was in such a hurry to bring against me, in order to screen his nephew, who is the real thief, is wholly unfounded. I am not particularly surprised that you were ready to believe it, nor do I care enough for your good opinion to worry. I consider that it is due to myself, however, to prove to you that I have done nothing of which I need be ashamed. Finding the scholars here in terror of a bully, who imposed upon his schoolfellows with impunity because, being the princ.i.p.al's nephew, he was protected in so doing, I taught him a lesson which may not do him good, but has certainly been of benefit to his fellow-pupils. In so doing, I have incurred his enmity, and that of his uncle, who, for more than one reason, is utterly unfit to conduct a school of this kind.

"You threaten to remove me from school at the end of this term. I do not wish to remain, and shall remove myself at the end of this week. I shall not look to you for support, nor do I expect again to depend upon the estate to which I once thought myself the heir, unless I should be able to prove that I am the son of your brother, as I fully believe, notwithstanding the letter you exhibit."

"HECTOR ROSCOE."

When Mr. Allan Roscoe received this letter he was very much disturbed.

As he had no affection for Hector, and did not care what became of him, this may, perhaps, excite surprise. Could it be the last sentence which excited his alarm?

"Is that letter from Hector?" asked Guy, who had noticed the postmark as it lay upon his father's table.

"Yes," answered Allan Roscoe.

"Does he try to explain his theft?" asked Guy.

"He says he had nothing to do with it."

"Oh, of course!" sneered Guy. "You don't believe it, do you?"

"He sends a statement of two of the pupils to the effect that the wallet was taken by another pupil, a nephew of the princ.i.p.al."

"That's too thin!"

"I don't know. It may be true. I don't like the boy, but I hardly think it probable he would steal."

"You think better of him than I do. I suppose he wants to get into your good graces again?"

"No; he says he shall leave school at the end of this week, and will not again look to me for support."