eply. "If I
charge him with it he'll deny it. No one saw him do it, I guess. He
probably came in here early this afternoon. I have French at two, you
know, and he probably counted on that. Gus never is in, anyhow. After he
did it he put it back in the case, but I knew as soon as I'd opened it
that somebody had been at it because my handkerchief was underneath, and
I always spread it on top. If I beat him up he'll go to Josh and Josh
will say it was an unwarrantable attack, or something, and I'll get the
dickens. I can't afford that, because I'm trying hard for a Draper
Scholarship and can't take chances. I guess he's evened things up all
right, Thayer."

"It's perfectly rotten!" said Clint explosively. "If it was me I'd
thrash him, scholarship or no scholarship! The mean pup!"

"You wouldn't if it might mean losing your chance of coming back after
Christmas. I need that scholarship the worst way and I have a hunch that
I'll get it if I don't get into trouble. I had it last year, you know. I
haven't done very well with business this Fall; fellows haven't seemed
to want things much. No, if Dreer figured out that I wouldn't go after
him on account of the scholarship, he guessed about right. I'd like
to"--Penny's voice trembled--"to half kill him, but--I won't!"

"Then tell faculty, Durkin. Have him fired out of school. Do--do
something!"

"No use telling faculty; I can't prove it on him. Besides, I don't like
the idea of playing baby. And, anyway, nothing I could do to Dreer would
give me my violin back the way it was. It--it had a grand tone, Thayer!
You've heard it!"

"Yes." Clint had to suppress a smile. "Yes, I've heard it often, Durkin.
It did have a good tone; nice and--and clear."

"There isn't a better instrument made than a Moretti," said Penny sadly.
"I can have it fixed so it won't show, but it won't ever be the same."
He laid the violin back in the case very tenderly and spread the white
silk handkerchief across the strings. "If you don't mind, Thayer, I'd
just as leave you didn't say much about this."

"All right," agreed Clint gruffly. "Mind if I tell Amy, though?"

"Oh, no, only I--I'd rather it didn't get around. Some of the fellows
don't like my playing, anyhow, you see, and they'd do a lot
of talking."

Clint took his departure a minute later, after renewed regrets, and went
back to his room. Amy was still absent and it was not until after supper
that they met.

CHAPTER XVI

AMY TAKES A