evidence. But sometimes that is
the strongest kind. Naturally, he would take the greatest care not to
have any witnesses to the theft. The proof seems strong and many a man
has been hung on less."

"That is true," admitted the other thoughtfully, "but there are many
things, too, to be said on the other side.

"In the first place, there is the boy's character up to this time. He
ought to have the full advantage of that, and certainly he has seemed to
be one of the most upright and straightforward boys in the entire
school. I haven't had a black mark against him, and neither has any of
the other teachers.

"Then, too, what motive did he have for taking them? He's very bright,
especially in mathematics, for which he has a natural gift. He's always
up in the nineties somewhere in his marks. He hadn't the slightest
reason to fear the examinations.

"And I can't understand his manner, if he is guilty. When I first spoke
to him, instead of being the least bit flustered, he wasn't at all slow
in taking me straight to the locker. And when we caught sight of the
papers, he was just as much dumfounded as I was myself, more so if
anything, because I had had a hint that they were there.

"Why did he tell us about the talk in the gymnasium? He didn't need to
say a word about it. Yet he blurted it out without any hesitation.
Either the boy is innocent, or he's one of the finest actors I ever
saw."

"What is your theory, then?" asked the doctor. "Do you think that
somebody, in his haste to conceal the papers, mistook Rushton's locker
for his own?"

"Hardly that," replied Professor Raymond. "The matter was too important
for such carelessness. The papers were put there deliberately."

"By whom?"

"By the person who wrote this letter," and the professor took from his
pocket the scrap of paper he had received that afternoon.

CHAPTER XXV

TO THE RESCUE

The master of Rally Hall and Professor Raymond knitted their brows as
they studied the scrawl. There was absolutely no clue, except that it
bore the Green Haven postmark on the envelope, and had been mailed that
morning.

"One of the boys sent it, without a doubt," went on the professor. "He
knew we were familiar with his handwriting and so printed the letter."

"Might not the writer, whoever he is, have seen Rushton hide the
package, and chosen this method to tell on him?" queried the doctor.

"I would go further than that," said the other slowly. "I believe th