ilingly whispered Ishmael.

"I understand it all now, Ish.! I fully understand it! But I will not
accept the sacrifice, old boy," replied Walter.

"Will the young gentleman who is the author of the prize thesis step up
and be invested with this watch?" rather impatiently demanded the
wearied Professor Adams.

Walter Middleton arose in his place.

"I am the author of the thesis last read; but I am not entitled to the
prize; there has been a mistake."

"Walter!" exclaimed his father, in a tone of rebuke.

The examiners looked at the young speaker in surprise, and at each other
in perplexity.

"Excuse me, father; excuse me, gentlemen; but there has been a serious
mistake, which I hope to prove to you, and which I know you would not
wish me to profit by," persisted the youth modestly, but firmly.

"Don't, now, Walter! hush, sit down," whispered Ishmael in distress.

"I will," replied young Middleton firmly.

"Walter, come forward and explain yourself; you certainly owe these
gentlemen both an explanation and an apology for your unseemly
interruption of their proceedings and your presumptuous questioning of
their judgment," said Mr. Middleton.

"Father, I am willing and anxious to explain, and my explanation in
itself will be my very best apology; but, before I can go on, I wish to
beg the favor of a sight of the thesis that was first read," said
Walter, coming up to the table of the examiners.

The paper was put in his hands. He cast his eyes over it and smiled.

"Well, my young friend, what do you mean by that?" inquired Professor
Adams.

"Why, sir, I mean that it is just as I surmised; that this paper which I
hold in my hand is not the paper that was prepared for the examining
committee; this, sir, must be the original draft of the thesis, and not
the fair copy which was intended to compete for the gold watch," said
Walter firmly.

"But why do you say this, sir? What grounds have you for entertaining
such an opinion?" inquired Professor Adams. Young Middleton smiled
confidently as he replied:

"I have seen and read the fair copy; there was not a mistake in it; and
it was in every other respect greatly superior to my own."

"If this is true, and of course I know it must be so, since you say it,
my son, why was not the fair copy put in our hands? By what strange
inadvertence has this rough draft found its way to us?" inquired Mr.
Middleton.

"Father," replied Walter, in a low voice, "by no inadvertenc