an envelope and posted it, directed to yourself. Even now, if
you will confess the truth, I will send you home privately, and avoid
public expulsion and disgrace in consideration of the good character you
have always hitherto borne; if not, I must at once lay the whole facts
before your uncle and guardian, and to-morrow you will be publicly
expelled."

"I have nothing to say, sir," Frank said quietly; "overwhelming as the
proof appears against me, I have spoken the simple truth, and I swear
that I never saw that note until I took it from the envelope."

"Go to your room, sir!" Dr. Litter said, with indignation, "this
continued denial is almost worse than the offence."

Without a word Frank rose and left the library.

"This is indeed a shocking business," Mr. Wire said, as he followed Dr.
Litter to the schoolroom.

"I cannot credit it," Mr. Richards put in; "I know him so well, that,
absolutely conclusive as I allow the evidence to be, I still hesitate to
believe him to be guilty."

After school was over Fred Barkley ran up to his cousin's room.

"My dear Frank," he exclaimed, "we are ordered not to communicate with
you, but I could not help running in to tell you that every one believes
you to be innocent."

"I hardly know whether I believe it myself," Frank said bitterly. "But
you can do something for me, Fred; I have written a line to my uncle,
will you post it for me at once?"

"Certainly," Fred replied; "but there is some one coming upstairs, so I
must be off." He took the letter and was gone. It contained only a few
words:--

"My dear Uncle,--If you believe me innocent of this hideous charge,
which I swear to you I am not guilty of, send me one line by hand when
you get this. As long as I know that you have faith in me I can face it
out."

The afternoon passed slowly to the prisoner. His uncle would get the
letter between three and four, and he might have an answer half an hour
afterwards. Hour after hour passed, and, except the servant who brought
up his tea, no one came near him. He reasoned to himself that his uncle
might be out. At eight o'clock he heard a noise on the stairs; a number
of feet approached his room, and then the door opened, and the whole of
the boys in the boarding-house poured in.

"Norris, old fellow," Harris said, "we could stop away no longer, and in
spite of orders we have come to see you. I beg to tell you in the name
of the whole house, and I may say the whole School, that