ould say
nothing, but his heart swelled with pride.

"The way to get famous and respected, nowadays, is to steal something,
and to get found out," sneered Fred Ripley, bitterly, to Clara
Deane.

Straight to his own door did some two score in all of the Gridley
H.S. students escort Dick Prescott.

"Three cheers for Dick!" proposed some one.

"And for Dick and Co.!" shouted another voice.

The cheers were given with gusto. So much noise was made, in
fact, that Mrs. Prescott came to open the door.

Something in his mother's face---a look of dread and alarm---spoiled
the cheering for Dick. As soon as he could he got inside the
house.

Little did the young freshman suspect the ordeal that awaited
him here.

CHAPTER VIII

ONLY A "SUSPENDED" FRESHMAN NOW

"What's wrong mother? Have you heard-----" the boy began, as
soon as the door was closed.

"Yes, Richard."

"But, mother, I am inno-----"

"Oh, Dick, of course you are! But this fearful suspicion is enough
to kill one who loves you. Come! Your father is in the store.
Dr. Thornton is upstairs. He and---and---a policeman.

"Policeman!" gasped Dick, paling instantly. "Do they mean to-----"

"I don't know just what they mean, Dick I'm too dazed to guess,"
replied his mother. "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