want anything printed in the _Bulletin_ you have to
send a sworn statement that there isn't an acrostic concealed in it. The
editors went gunning for the fellow who sent in the sonnet, but they
never found him."

Clint laughed. "They didn't try 14 Torrence, then, did they?" he
inquired. Amy smiled noncommittingly.

"Your insinuation pains me," he murmured.

"Why don't you deny it, then?"

"It is quite unnecessary. Anyone knowing my blameless career--"

"Have you saved a copy of it?"

"I believe there's one somewhere in my scrapbook," replied Amy
carelessly. "Some time, if you are good, I'll look it up. Meanwhile, if
you're through with your ridiculous chatter, we'll go to supper."

CHAPTER VI

THE RUNAWAY WHEEL

The following Saturday Brimfield went to Thacher to play Thacher School.
As there was to be no practice for the second team, Clint decided to see
the game. Rather to his surprise, Amy readily agreed to accompany him.
Amy pretended a deep disdain for football and seldom attended practice
or, for that matter, minor contests. It is probable that he consented to
go to Thacher less to watch the game than for the sake of Clint's
society, for by that time the two were fairly inseparable. The team
started off about noon, but the "rooters", most of whom had
eleven-thirty recitations, started an hour later, after a hurried
dinner. Thacher was only twenty-odd miles away, but the journey occupied
more than an hour, since it was necessary to take train to Wharton and
change there to the trolley line.

It was a mild day, sunny and cloudless, and travelling, especially on
the electric car, was very pleasant. The fellows were full of spirits
and a bit noisy, and played pranks on each other and had a thoroughly
good time. The only untoward incident occurred when Peters, the second
team centre, fell off the running-board of the trolley car and rolled
down a six-foot embankment. Fortunately the accident occurred on a curve
and the car was running slowly. Still more fortunately, perhaps, Peters
was a rotund youth well padded with flesh and he sustained no injuries
beyond a sprained thumb. By the time the car had been stopped and
hurried back to the rescue Peters was climbing a trifle indignantly up
the bank. For the rest of the way he amused himself and others within
hearing by estimating the amount of damages he could collect from the
railway company.

Something like an hour later, however, when Peters made the d