Part 5

Satisfied that no one would suspect what had occurred, but with his anger not one whit abated, Ward advanced to the door and slipping back the bolt, opened it.

"Oh, it's you, Little Pond, is it?" he said as Pond's brother entered the room. "What's up?" he hastily inquired, as he detected the trace of tears in the lad's eyes.

"Some one's been in my room and upset everything in it. They've even poured water all over my bed, and I don't know what I'll do. I've been working hard for an hour to straighten things out, but I don't think I've succeeded very well," and the lad's voice almost broke as he spoke.

"Never mind, Pond," said Ward quickly, forgetting for a moment his own experience and anger at the sight of the trembling lad before him. "I'll go up and help you, and we'll have it all straightened out before you know it. You mustn't mind such a little thing as having your room stacked. It's what every new boy has to expect."

Ward spoke quite bravely. His new role as "Ward Hill the senior" was already beginning to have its effect upon him, and in the impulse to help another, he almost forgot his own anger over what a little while before he had considered an outrage.

"You haven't told any one about it, have you?" inquired Ward.

"No; that is, I haven't to any one except Big Smith."

"And what did Big Smith say?"

"Oh, he said just what you did, not to mind it."

"That was kind of him," remarked Ward drily. "He didn't speak about being willing to come up and help you set the room up again, did he?"

"Why, no; is he the one who does that?"

"Not exactly. It's strange how many duties he has to do just when any one else happens to want anything of him. Why, there he is now," he quickly added as they came out of the room and Ward carefully locked the door behind him. "I say, Big Smith, I want you. Come up into Little Pond's room and help set it up. The poor little homesick chap has had it stacked, and can't fix it alone."

"I should like to, Ward, I really should, but I've some work to do, and I feel it to be my duty to attend to that first. I'll come up as soon as I can."

"No, you won't, you'll come now," said Ward angrily. "You're not going to leave the little chap in any such way."

"But, Ward, I can't," protested Big Smith, "I really can't. I must do my work first."

"You'd better come. Such fellows as you sometimes have to neglect their 'duties' to set their own rooms up. You'll have your own room stacked the first thing you know."

"Do you think so?" said Big Smith hastily. "I don't see why any one should want to bother me in that way. But I'll come up. Perhaps I ought to, though I do not wish to."

"Come along, then," said Ward; and the three boys at once proceeded to Pond's room, and by their combined efforts the few belongings were soon restored to their former places.

"I hope this stacking business isn't going to become the fashion," said Big Smith solemnly. "It will be a very serious inconvenience to me if I should have to rearrange my room very often. It would interfere with my plans very sadly. Do you know, Ward, I heard some one in your room this afternoon? I thought it was you at first, but when I saw you a little later coming up the path, of course I knew it wasn't. Since I've been up here I've been thinking that your room might have been stacked too. You've been there, of course, and it must be all right, or you'd have spoken of it."

"My room's all right," replied Ward evasively, though his face flushed slightly as he spoke. He had no desire that Big Smith should learn of his misfortune. It was bad enough as it was, without having the report of it spread broadcast, as would be the case if Big Smith learned of it. "Have any of the East Hall fellows been over here this afternoon?" he added.

"No," said Big Smith slowly, "I haven't seen any. Let me see, though, I did see Jack Hobart talking with Professor Mike a minute, but that was out in front of West. I don't think he came in. Why?"

"Oh, nothing," replied Ward slowly. He was thinking of that interview between Jack and the janitor, or Professor Mike, as he was familiarly known by the boys. Evidently he was troubled by the thought too, for he was silent for a time, and apparently not aware of the presence of his companions.

"You're all right now, Little Pond," he said at last. "You can go and attend to that 'duty' of yours, Big Smith, and I'll go to my room, for I've a little work that ought to be done. Now don't forget," he added turning to Pond, "to keep your door locked. Yes, lock it every time you go out; it's the only safe way."

"It was locked this afternoon," said Pond. "That's what I can't understand. I don't see how any one could get in."

"It is strange," said Ward thoughtfully, as he departed. "Well, we'll hope for better things next time. I shouldn't say much about it to any one, though."

Ward started down the stairs, and in the lower hall, the one into which his own room opened, he saw the janitor.

"Mike, come in here a minute," he said, opening the door into his room as he spoke.

The good-natured old Irishman followed him, and as Ward closed the door said: "I'll be after havin' yez know that me name's not Moike, but Perfessor. Oi'm the perfessor of dust and ashes, I'd be havin' ye understand. Oi'm nixt to the principal, Oi am, and indade and Oi've been here longer nor the doctor has."

"Yes, yes, I know," said Ward quickly, in no mood to enter into the standing joke of "Professor Mike." "What I want to know is this, has any one had your keys this afternoon?"

"Me keys, is it? What for should I be after givin' up the badge of me own office, I'd loike to know? Me and me keys are foriver togither. We're one and the same, now and foriver. What for should you be after axin' me such a question as that?"

Ward thought he perceived from the janitor's manner that he was rendered somewhat uneasy by the question, and resolving to chance all upon one question, he said:

"Mike, what did you let Jack Hobart have your keys for?"

"Jack Hobart have me keys? Is he that b'y they call 'Speck,' what has a room over in East Hall? Is he that same?"

"He is that same. Now tell me about your letting him have your keys."

"Indade, and Oi did not let him have me keys."

"All right then, Mike. That's all I wanted to know," and Ward made as if he were about to shut the door.

"Hold on a bit, will yez?" said Mike, evidently somewhat disturbed. "Oi did not let Speck have me keys, as Oi'm tellin' yez. But that's not sayin' as how I might not have lint them to the lad a bit of a minute is it?"

"You know what I meant, Mike," said Ward, his trouble all returning instantly. "When did you let him have them? How long did he keep them? Who was with him?"

"Listin to the lad, will yez. Jist listin to the quistions he can ask, faster nor any man can count 'em, and he the perfessor of dust and ashes at that. Now thin, I'll be after tellin' yez all about it," said the janitor more soberly and evidently troubled more than he cared to show. "Jack Hobart came to me and he sez, sez he, 'Me room's locked Mike and I can't git in,' which same is true. Sez I, 'Why don't yez take yer key then, and unlock the door, me bye.' 'That same's what I'd loike to do,' sez Jack, 'but I've lost me key and Jacob's gone to his dinner.' Ah, that's what comes of having a haything for a perfessor of dust and ashes instid of a white man loike mesilf. So whin the lad asked me to lind him the loan of me keys, I did that same. He didn't be after havin' 'em more nor tin minutes, and I shouldn't be surprised at all, at all, if he didn't have 'em a speck over nine. There's bin no harm done, Oi'm thinkin'?"

Mike could not conceal his anxiety. He had violated a strict rule of the school in lending his bunch of keys to any one. He himself ought to have gone and tried the keys himself if any one used them, and this Ward knew as well as Mike.

"Mike," he said solemnly, "you've got yourself into trouble. There have been some rooms stacked in West Hall this afternoon, and you're the one to blame for it too. You had no right to let any fellow in this school have your keys."

"Indade and that same is true," said the troubled Michael. "Now, Mr. Ward, you'll not be after reportin' it to the doctor, Oi'm thinkin'? The principal has enough to think of without addin' to his cares and burdens. Yez will not be after doin' that, I know, Mr. Ward?"

The janitor could not entirely conceal his fears, and Ward quickly resolving to make use of them for his own advantage, said, "Not yet, Mike, anyway. But those East Hall fellows must not come over here and stack our rooms. Now if you'll promise to keep quiet and help me find out who does the mischief, it'll be all right. But you'll have to keep a careful watch. If the thing happens again, Dr. Gray ought to know of it."

"Oi'll trap 'em, me lad. Oi'll help yez to fix 'em! I will that."

"All right then, Mike. But mind, now, you'll have to keep both eyes open."

Michael departed troubled and yet elated over Ward's words, just as Henry entered the room. Ward at first had thought he would not tell his room-mate of what had occurred, but changing his mind, he soon told Henry all about it.

His room-mate's anger was great when he had listened to the story, and many were his expressions of sympathy. He too realized that Ward was likely to have a long and bitter struggle in the school now, and to the boy's credit be it said, he did not once think of the trouble it might bring upon him as Ward's chum.

His words were comforting to the troubled Ward, who could bear the ill will of his fellows least of all. Indeed, the heaviness in Ward's heart arose most of all from his loss of popularity, and how he would bear it not even he himself could tell.

He soon went with Henry to the dining hall, but was silent most of the time. The slight on the ball-field, the loss of his position on the nine, and the "stacking" of his room, had all combined to render him somewhat heavy-hearted and disinclined to enter into conversation with any one.

Henry understood his friend's mood and neither of them spoke on their way back to their room when supper was over. They climbed the stairs together, and then Ward took his key from his pocket to open the door.

As he pushed it back an exclamation of anger burst from his lips. The room had again been "stacked" in their absence, and a scene of indescribable confusion, very similar to that which Ward had faced in the afternoon, again lay before them.

*CHAPTER VIII*

*PERPLEXITY*

An exclamation of anger burst forth from Ward's lips, and even Henry's ordinary calm was somewhat disturbed by the sight. Chairs, tables, bedding, and carpets were all piled in one indiscriminate mass in the center of the room. The dim light from the hall only served to increase the impression of confusion.

"Well, Henry," said Ward ruefully, when they entered the room and had carefully shut the door, "it's too bad that you have to be punished too for my sins. Whoever did this, evidently intended to make a thorough piece of work of it. Isn't it a sight to behold!"

"Never mind me, Ward," said Henry quietly. "I'm ready to take my share; all I'm sorry about is that somebody has such a mean spirit. What fun there can be in tearing everything to pieces like this I cannot see for my part."

"It hasn't been done for the fun of it; you can rest easy about that," replied Ward. "I wish the one who did it was here now. I'd make him take a hand in fixing up the room again. Hello, the lamp's broken!" he added angrily as he found the broken lamp in the midst of the heap on the floor. "Yes, and they've poured the oil all over everything too. It's a good deal worse than it was this afternoon and that was bad enough. We'll have to borrow a lamp, I'm thinking."

"No, mine's all right," said Henry quickly, as he drew forth his own lamp from the border of the confused mass.

In a moment he had lighted it, and both boys stood for a moment and gazed ruefully at the wreck before them. Ward was almost too angry to speak now. All his quiet labor in the afternoon had been useless, and now a task even worse than the one which he had faced then was before him.

"We might as well go at it now as any time," said Henry quietly, removing his coat as he spoke, and preparing to begin the work. "It's got to be done, Ward, and the sooner we do it the better. Come on, old fellow, we'll soon have it all straightened out."

Ward made no reply, but he at once prepared to follow his room-mate's example, and soon both boys were busily at work. Several times there came a rap on their door, but they did not heed it, for neither was in a mood to welcome callers.

They continued eagerly at the task, working rapidly, and it was not long before the room began to take on once more something of its former appearance. The study bell had rung, however, before their labors were ended, and the rap on the door which soon came they recognized at once as Mr. Blake's.

Ward himself opened the door in response to the summons, and as he stood facing the tall teacher the flush on his face caused by his anger and his exertions had not entirely disappeared.

"I'm surprised, Hill, not to find you at your studies. A senior ought not to set an example like this. I shall wait to see that you begin your work promptly and properly."

Ward was too angry to offer any explanation. He bade Mr. Blake enter, and as he offered him a chair, he saw that Henry had at last succeeded in partially adjusting the last remaining belongings of the room.

"We're all right now, Mr. Blake," said Henry quietly. "There were some things which had to be attended to before we could begin to study."

"You ought not to take the study hours for such work," responded Mr. Blake, rising as he spoke. "I've heard you pounding up here for some time, and hoped you'd settle down so as not to disturb the others. You ought to bear in mind that there are other boys as well as yourselves in West Hall, and some of them I'm glad to say manifest a disposition to work."

As Mr. Blake went out of the room Ward could restrain himself no longer. "That's always the way with that man!" he said angrily. "No matter what you do, or how hard you try, it's all the same. He has to put in his word and it's always the wrong word at the right time too. I wish he didn't have charge of West Hall."

"Oh, well, never mind, Ward. He doesn't understand us very well, that's a fact; but so long as we know he doesn't, we know about what to expect. We'll get to work now and forget all about Mr. Blake, and that the room ever was stacked. It doesn't look how as if it had been troubled. You can't see anything wrong about it, can you?"

"No, but I can smell it," said Ward half-laughingly, for the odor of the kerosene which had been spilled was only too apparent in the room.

However, the boys soon seated themselves by Henry's table and began their work for the evening. It was some time before Ward could bring his thoughts to bear upon the work in hand, but at last he succeeded and studied hard all the evening.

"There, I haven't my work all done," he said when at last the bell was rung indicating that the end of the study hour had come. "I must have more time. I'm going down to ask Mr. Blake for permission to sit up a little longer."

"Let me go," said Henry quickly, but Ward was out of the room by this time and made no reply.

In response to his request Mr. Blake shook his head and refused permission. Ward went slowly back to his room thoroughly angry. The teacher's manner betrayed his suspicion of the boy, and Ward did not take time to consider that Mr. Blake did not know anything of the new resolution he had formed, or of the struggle which was going on in his own mind.

He closed the door with a slam as he came back and expressed his opinion in no mild terms of the man who was in charge of West Hall. Henry strove to soothe the angry feelings of his room-mate, but without avail, and when at last the boys retired for the night, Ward's anger had steadily increased.

"Even Mr. Crane would be satisfied now," he thought as he drew the bedclothes up around him. "I've got enough anger, as he called it, to supply every boy in West Hall."

But he was too tired to cherish his feelings for any length of time and was soon asleep.

He was awake long before the breakfast hour, and hastily arising resumed his studying. By the time Henry had joined him he had his work all done, and felt that he was thoroughly ready for the tasks of the day. The fact gave him much satisfaction, and when they started toward the dining hall much of his anger had disappeared, so far as any outward manifestation of it was concerned; but deep down in his heart Ward was thinking of his own troubles. Perhaps he even tried to cherish the feeling of anger a trifle, for it was so much more easy to work and face the school when he was aroused, than it was when only the fact of his own unpopularity was most apparent.

However, he had decided upon one course of action, at least, and that was what he would have to say to Jack Hobart. A fine friend he was! After all his protestations of friendship, to go over to West Hall and get the keys to his room! For Ward had not a doubt in his mind that Jack had been the one to carry out the scheme which he believed Tim Pickard had concocted. Not that Jack had "stacked" the room himself. Ward did not for a moment believe that. But he knew Jack Hobart so well that he was certain he would strive to keep in the good graces of all the school, and if he saw the tide setting too strongly against him Ward somehow felt that Jack would desert him. Had he not done that very thing in the preceding year? It was true he had professed to be sorry, but what did "feeling sorry" amount to, since he failed to stand beside him when troubles came?

Jack had expected trouble to come too, and Ward thought somewhat bitterly of his friend's words, and how he had declared that his vertebrae and upper lip should manifest their power in the time of trial. And the trying time had come.

Ward thought of the scene a few days before this time at the Rockford Station, when Jack had come on the afternoon train. How eager he had been then for him to come back to the Weston school! And what strong words concerning his own friendship he had used too! And Ward had believed him; that was the worst of it all.

But the "Tangs" had declared against him, and the troubled boy could not entirely shake off the feeling that Jack had not broken with them, and that his own troubles were mainly to be traced to that body. Doubtless they were compelling Jack to bear his share now, and were hoping to increase his own troubles by that very fact.

Ward's heart was filled with these somewhat bitter reflections as he entered the Latin room. How cool all the boys were to him! Scarcely any one had a word for him now, and only a few months before they had been free enough with their applause and words of praise.

Jack was already in his seat when Ward entered and his beaming face showed that he evidently was waiting for him to come.

"I say, valedic," said Jack, as Ward took his seat, "just translate a bit of this stuff for me, will you? It's too much for me. My massive brain is not equal for the task."

"There won't be time," said Ward coldly. "Here's Mr. Crane now."

Jack looked at him a moment in surprise and Ward noticed somewhat bitterly that he was evidently pained too. What a hypocrite he must be! or else Ward must have been mistaken in supposing Jack was concerned in the upsetting of his room. But that was hardly possible. Had not Mike himself said he had loaned his bunch of keys to him? Surely no other one then could be at fault.

The recitation now began and as Ward was soon called upon to recite, all other thoughts were immediately banished from his mind. He did his work well and noted the quiet smile upon Mr. Crane's face as he took his seat. It was the mark of approval which he always gave when the work was done to his complete satisfaction.

Ward's troubles, however, soon returned. Of what advantage was it all for him to do well in his classes when apparently the hand of every fellow in the school seemed to be turned against him? Outside of Henry and Little Pond it did not seem as if he had a friend left. He wished he had not come back to the school. But he had come, there was no escape from that fact, and all that remained now was to be as brave as possible and not be overcome by his enemies.

And yet how easy it would be to put an end to all his annoyances and once more be at peace with the boys. There was his place on the nine too; he knew he could have it again. All he would have to do to regain that and also to have the popularity which once was his, was to go in with the "Tangs" once more.

Ward glanced up at Mr. Crane. How he did respect the man! How kind he had been during the summer, and how sincere his interest was now! Then too, there was Little Pond, who placed such implicit confidence in him. He was almost irritated by the dependence of the lad, and yet he liked the little fellow in spite of it all. No, he could not yield now, Ward thought. He had begun, and he must carry the struggle through to the end.

When the hour came to a close, Ward realized that although he had made a good recitation himself, he had not heard much of what had been said by either Mr. Crane or the boys. He had been busied with his own thoughts and fighting again the battle which seemed as if it never was to cease.

"I say, Jack," he said as the boys rose to pass out of the room, "I want to see you."

"I'm glad of it, Ward," replied Jack as he joined Ward, and they walked together across the campus toward Dr. Gray's room. "I'd begun to think you never wanted to see me again. I've been racking my brains to see what the difficulty was."

"Jack," said Ward, apparently ignoring his declaration, "what did you get Professor Mike's keys for yesterday?"

"What did I get Mike's keys for?" repeated Jack, a look of astonishment creeping over his face as he spoke. "I don't know what you mean. I haven't had his keys."

His astonishment apparently was sincere and for the first time Ward's heart misgave him. Could it be that he had been mistaken? But there was the janitor's own declaration. He himself had said he had loaned the keys to Jack, and certainly he could have no motive in saying so if it had not been true. He had implicated himself by the statement as it was, and had openly confessed to violating one of the strictest of Dr. Gray's rules by doing so. No, Mike must have told the truth; there could be no other explanation.

"You haven't had Mike's keys?" said Ward, slowly turning and looking Jack full in the face.

"No; honor bright, I haven't had 'em, Ward. No, hold on! Let me see! Come to think of it, I did ask him for them yesterday, that's a fact, but I'd forgotten all about it till you brought it back to my benighted mind."

"Oh, then you did have them," said Ward bitterly, not able to repress the sneer on his face as he spoke.

"Why, yes," said Jack. "The way of it was this, I was over by West Hall. The fact is, Ward, I was there to get you to go down to the ball ground. One of the boys wanted to get a bat which was up in my room, but Luscious had my keys and I asked Mike for his. There was no harm in that, was there, Ward?"

"Who was the fellow that you gave them to, or did you go yourself?"

"No, I didn't go myself; but I see there's something wrong, so I don't believe I ought to tell you who the chap was. I'm afraid there's something off color."