ody in the institution may be in collusion with some outsider--some
professional thief. The inside person may have given the outsider a tip
as to when the coast was clear and may even have stood on guard while the
rooms were being looted."

"That is possible, Professor. But is there any one in the place that you
suspect?"

At this Professor Grawson shook his head.

"No, sir. So far as I can imagine they are all thoroughly honest."

"We might institute a general search of all the buildings," announced
Captain Dale. "We can call all the cadets out on the campus and all the
hired help into the mess room and request them to remain while the search
is going on."

"Some of the hired help may object to that," came from Professor Watson.

"If they did it would throw suspicion on them," answered Colonel Colby
quickly. "I think the idea had better be carried out."

All the persons in the school were assembled as mentioned, and then
Captain Dale explained to the cadets what had been proposed and Colonel
Colby did the same to the hired help.

"They're certainly welcome to search our rooms," declared Major Jack
promptly.

"And mine, too," added a score of others.

"I'm sure I haven't anything to conceal," put in Lieutenant Harkness.

"And I haven't anything to conceal either," came from Brassy Bangs. "They
can search my room all they please." He had announced the loss of a
stickpin and six dollars and a quarter in cash.

Among the hired help there was more or less murmuring, one of the old
cooks, an Irish woman who had been in the place since it had been opened,
shaking her head dubiously.

"Sure an' I didn't think yez would take me fer a thief, Colonel Colby,"
said Bridget, gazing at the head of the school severely.

"I'm not taking any one for a thief, Mrs. Mulligan," he answered. "But it
would not be fair to search any of the rooms without searching all of
them."

"Sure an' that's true fer yez," announced the cook, nodding her head in
assent. "An' if that's the way ye're after lookin' at it, go ahead and
search me room all ye please. Only don't be disturbin' them trinkets I
have from me dead mother."

The search was made without delay, all of the teachers and the cadets who
had lost their belongings taking part. It occupied the rest of the
morning. Every room was gone over carefully, and when anything in the way
of jewelry or other such articles as had been reported missing were
discovered all those who had su