" was the reply. "But he'll be back very shortly.
Will you come in and wait?"

"No 'm, thanks. We'll come back again at noon," answered Chub. And when
they had left the Cottage he turned and thumped Roy triumphantly on the
back. "Practice at three, old chap!" he cried.

Roy smiled happily. Then,

"I suppose he will let me off?" he asked doubtfully.

"Who? Emmy? Course he will! What's he got against you now? Both Jack and
I saw Horace put the sweater there, and we know that he was away from
school Sunday afternoon. What more proof is wanted?"

"We've got Horace done brown," said Jack. "Emmy won't do a thing to
him!"

"Kind of hard luck, too," said Chub, "with the race coming off in the
morning; for of course Emmy will yank him out of the boat the first
thing."

"Then we'll lose the race, won't we?" asked Roy.

Chub shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure to," he answered. "I'm kind of sorry for Horace, but he deserves
every bit of it. It was a mean trick to work."

Roy was silent a moment. Finally,

"Well, I don't care so much now that I've got my sweater back," he said
thoughtfully.

"Care about what?" asked Jack.

"Oh, the rest of it; being on bounds and--and not playing to-morrow,"
answered Roy. "You see, I'd just about made up my mind that I wasn't
going to play, anyhow."

"Well, you're _going_ to play," answered Chub cheerfully. "And I'm
pleased purple. A few of those nice long hits of yours to-morrow will do
a heap of good, Roy."

But Roy didn't seem to hear.

"No one knows about this but you and Jack and me?" he asked.

"That's all," replied Chub.

"And if we don't say anything about it, then, no one else will know."

"Don't say anything about it!" cried Chub. "Are you crazy?"

"No, but there's the boat race to think of, Chub; we don't want to lose
that, I guess. And if they take Horace out--"

"Now don't you be a silly ass!" interrupted Chub in alarm. "Let them
lose the old race! I reckon we don't want to lose the ball game either,
do we? Now don't get sentimental and sloppy; Horace deserves all that's
coming to him!"

"Maybe," answered Roy, "but I guess we'll just keep this to ourselves,
if you fellows don't mind."

"But you won't be able to play!"

"I know," Roy replied, "but I wasn't expecting to, you see. And--and,
anyhow, I've got my sweater back!"

"Sweater be blowed!" exploded Chub. "Don't be a fool, Roy! You're just
fooling, aren't you, eh?"

"No, Chub, I'm not. I'm sorry to dis