Chapter 35

FOR THE HONOR OF YALE

"What does this mean? You fellows sure have your nerve with you! Let me go, or I'll----"

Mortimer stormed and raved, struggling to get loose from the grip of Andy and Dunk.

"I'll make you fellows sweat for this!" he cried "I'll fix you! I--I'll----"

"You'd better keep quiet, if you know what's best for you," panted Andy. "We hate this business as much as you ever can, Gaffington! Don't let the whole college know about it. Keep quiet, for the honor of Yale whose name you've disgraced. Keep quiet, for we've got the goods on you and the jig is up!"

It was a tense moment, and Andy might well be pardoned for speaking a bit theatrically. Truth to tell he hardly knew what he was saying.

"Yes, take it easy, Gaffington," advised Dunk. "We don't want to make a holiday of this affair; but you're at the end of your rope and the sooner you know it the better. We've caught you. Take it easy and we'll be as easy as we can."

"Caught me! What do you mean?" asked the unfortunate lad excitedly. "Can't I come to your room to borrow a book without being jumped on as if I----"

"Exactly! As though you were the thief that you are!" said Andy, bitterly. "What does this mean?"

With a quick motion, letting go of one of Mortimer's wrists, Andy reached into the other's pocket and pulled out the bills. "They're marked with our initials," he said, and his voice was sad, rather than triumphant. "We left them there to see if you'd take them."

The production of the bills took all the fight out of Mortimer Gaffington. He ceased his struggling and sank limply into a chair which Dunk pushed forward for him.

There followed a moment of silence--a silence that neither Andy or Dunk ever forgot. The quadrangle thief moistened his dry lips once or twice and then said hoarsely:

"Well, what are you going to do about it?"

"That's the question," spoke Andy, wearily. "What _are_ we going to do about it?"

"Are you going to deny it?" asked Dunk. "Before you answer, think what it means. An innocent man is under charges for these thefts."

Mortimer did not answer for a moment. When he did speak it was to say:

"No, I'm going to deny nothing. You have caught me. I own up. What are you going to do about it?"

"That's just it," said Dunk. "We don't know what to do about it."

Silently Mortimer began taking from his pockets several pieces of jewelry, evidently the things he had stolen from the rooms of other students.

"That's all I have," he said, bitterly.

Andy and Dunk looked at him a moment without speaking and then Andy asked:

"Why did you do it, Mortimer?"

"Why? I guess you know as well as I do. Everything is gone--dad's whole fortune wiped out. We haven't a dollar, and I had to leave Yale. We kept it quiet as long as we could. I didn't want to leave. I couldn't bear to!

"Oh, call it what you like--foolish pride perhaps, but I wanted to stay here and finish as I'd begun--with the best of the spenders. That's what I've been--a spender. I couldn't be otherwise--I was brought up that way. So, when I found I couldn't get any money any other way I began stealing. I'm not looking for sympathy--I'm telling the plain truth. I took your watch, Dunk. I took those books. I smuggled one into Link Bardon's room, hoping he'd be suspected. There's no use in saying I'm sorry. You wouldn't believe me. It's all up. You've got me right!"

He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands.

Andy and Dunk felt the lumps rising in their throats. They had to fight back the tears from their eyes. Never before had they taken part in such a grim tragedy--never again did they want to.

"You--you admit all the quadrangle thefts?" faltered Andy.

"Every one," was the low answer. "I took Carr's book and silver cup--I hid them in the closet that day you fellows caught me. I took Pulter's book, too. I was desperate--I'd take anything. I just had to have the money. I took the money Len thought he lost that night in the campus. Well, this is the end."

"Yes, it's the end," said Dunk, softly, "but not for us. We've got to think of Yale."

There was a footstep outside the door. The three started up in some alarm. They were not ready yet for disclosures.

"Beg pardon," said a calm voice, "but I could not help hearing what was said. Perhaps I can help you."

Andy swung open the door wider, and saw, standing in the hall, a man he recognized as one taking a post-graduate course in the Medical School. He was Nathan Conklin, and had taken a room in the freshman dormitory because no other was available just at that time.

"Do you want some advice?" asked Conklin. He was a pleasant chap, considerably older than Andy or Dunk. And he seemed to know life.

"I guess that's just what we do want," said Andy. "We are up against it. We have caught--er----"

"You needn't explain," said Conklin. "The less said on such occasions the better. I happened to be passing and I could not help hearing. What I didn't hear I guessed. Now I'm going to say a few words.

"Boys, Yale is bigger than any of us--better than any of us. We've got to consider the honor of Yale above everything else."

Andy and Dunk nodded. Mortimer sat with his face buried in his hands.

"Now then," went on Conklin, "for the honor of Yale, and not to save the reputation of anybody, we must hush up this scandal. It must go no farther than this room. Gaffington, are you willing to leave Yale?"

"I suppose I'll have to," Mortimer answered, without looking up.

"Yes, you would have to go if this came out, and it's better that you should go without it becoming known. Now then, are you willing to make restitution?"

"I can't. I haven't a dollar in the world."

"Let that go," said Dunk, quickly. "We fellows will see to that. I guess those that have missed things won't insist on getting them back; they'll do that much for the honor of Yale."

"About this other man who is under charges, are you willing to give testimony--in private to the judge--that will result in freeing him?" asked Conklin.

"Yes," whispered Mortimer.

"Then that's all that's necessary," went on the medical student. "I'll go see the Dean. You'd better come with me, Gaffington. I'll take charge of this case."

"Thank heaven!" said Andy, with a sigh of relief. "It was getting too much for me."

With bowed head Mortimer Gaffington followed the medical student from the room. What transpired at the interview with the Dean neither Dunk nor Andy ever learned. Nor did they ask. It was better not to know too much.

But Mortimer left Yale, and the honor of the college was untarnished, at least by anything that became known of his actions. He slipped away quietly, it being given out that his family was going abroad. And the Gaffingtons did leave Dunmore, going no one knew whither.

A certain secret meeting was held, when without a name being mentioned, it was explained by Andy, Dunk and Conklin that the quadrangle thief had been discovered. It was stated that those who had suffered losses would be reimbursed by private subscription, but the idea was rejected unanimously.

How Mortimer worked, and how he accomplished the various robberies, without being detected, remained a mystery. No one cared to go into it, for it was too delicate a subject.

The charge against Link was dismissed after a certain interview the Dean had with the county prosecutor, and Link was given his old place back.

"But if it had come to a trial," he said to Andy, when he was told that the thief (no name being mentioned) had confessed, "if I had been tried I could have told where that mysterious hundred dollars came from."

"Where?" asked Andy interestedly.

"From that farmer you saved me from. He got religion lately, and felt remorse for my injured arm. So he sent me the hundred dollars for my doctor's bill and other expenses."

"And never said a word about it?" asked Dunk.

"Not a word. But he died the other day, and the truth came out. A fellow I know in the town wrote me about it. So I could have proved that I didn't get the money by stealing."

"It wasn't necessary," said Andy. "So everything is explained now."

Andy's first year at Yale was nearing its close. The season was to wind up with a series of affairs and with several ball games, including one for the freshman team. Of course Dunk and Andy played. I wish I could say that Yale won, but truth compels me to state that Princeton "trimmed" her.

"And we'll do it again!" exulted Ben Snow, as he greeted Andy after the contest.

"I don't know about that!" was the answer. Then Andy hurried off to where a certain pretty girl waited for him. No, I'm not going to mention her name. You wouldn't know her, anyhow.

"Well," remarked Andy, as he and Dunk were packing up to go home for the summer holidays, "college is a great place."

"Especially Yale."

"Oh, I don't know. Of course I think there's no place like Yale, but there are others."

And so Andy and Dunk packed up and prepared to start for home, agreeing to room together again during their sophomore year, and until they had completed their college course.

They had locked their trunks, and their valises where ready. When came a knock on their door, and a voice said:

"Such bargains! Never before have I had such neckties and silk socks! Fellows, let me show you----"

"Get out, you Shylock!" laughed Andy, locking the portal. "We've only got money enough for our railroad fare!"

And Ikey Stein departed, looking for other bargain victims.

"Come on," suggested Dunk, "let's take a walk over the campus and say good-bye to the fellows."

"I'm with you," agreed Andy.

And arm in arm they departed.

THE END