hew is the sort of lad to be
extremely popular among his schoolmates; either one of these four boys
took the note from the master's table, with the good-natured but most
mistaken idea of getting him out of a scrape, or they must have
mentioned his need of money to some of their school-fellows, one of whom
finding the note, perhaps in the yard, where the head-master may have
dropped it, sent it to Frank to relieve him of the difficulty.

"These are possible solutions of the mystery, at any rate. But if you
will take my advice, Captain Bayley, you will not, in the present state
of affairs, take the steps which you propose to me against Dr. Litter.
It will be time enough to do that when your nephew's innocence is
finally and incontestably proved. Of course," he said, seeing that his
listener was about to break out again, "you and I, knowing him, know
that he is innocent; but others who do not know him might entertain some
doubt upon the subject, and a jury might consider that the Doctor was
justified, with the evidence before him, in acting as he did, in which
case an immense deal of damage might be done by making the matter a
subject of general talk."

With some difficulty Captain Bayley was persuaded to allow his intention
to rest for a while.

"It is late now," he said, "but I shall go and see Frank to-morrow. I
wish I had seen him this afternoon before I came to you. However, I have
no doubt when I get home I shall find a letter from him--not defending
himself, of course, as he would know that to be unnecessary, but telling
me the story in his own way."

But no letter came that evening, to Captain Bayley's great irritation.
He told Alice Hardy the whole circumstances, and she was as indignant as
himself, and warmly agreed that the head-master should be punished for
his unjust suspicions.

"And do you say he is really going to be expelled to-morrow?" she asked,
in a tone of horror.

"So the fellow said, my dear; but he shall smart for it, and the laws of
the land shall do Frank justice."

At half-past nine the next morning Fred Barkley arrived at Captain
Bayley's.

"Well," his uncle exclaimed, as he entered, "I suppose you have been
sent to tell me they have got to the bottom of this rigmarole affair."

"No, uncle," Fred said, "I have, I am sorry to say, been sent to tell
you that Frank last night left his boarding-house and is not to be
found."

Captain Bayley leapt from his seat in great wrath.

"The fo