FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79  
80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   >>   >|  
-you really don't?" persisted Dave Darrin. "I don't know," Dick declared flatly. "You've a suspicion, just the same," asserted Greg Holmes, dryly. "Possibly." "Who was it, then?" coaxed Greg Holmes. "Was it Fred Ripley?" shot out Dave Darrin. "Will you fellows keep a secret, on your solemn honor, if I tell you one?" Dick questioned. Dave and Greg both promised. "Well, then," Prescott admitted, "I'm convinced in my own mind that it was Fred Ripley that I had hold of for an instant tonight. But I didn't see his face, and I can't prove it. That's why I'm not going to tell about it. But this fellow wore lavender striped trousers, just like a pair of Fred's. There is just a chance or two in a thousand that it wasn't Ripley---and I'm not going to throw it all over on him when I can't prove it. Fellows, I know just what it feels like to be under suspicion when you really didn't do a thing. _It hurts---awfully_!" CHAPTER XI THE WELCOME WITH A BIG "W" Ben Badger sat perched aloft among the bare, spreading branches of a giant maple near one corner of the school grounds. The maple stood at the curbing of the sidewalk. Down below stood nearly a hundred High School boys of Gridley. That Ben was on sentry duty was apparent from the eager looks that those below frequently cast up at him. At times, too, the general impatience sought relief in questions hurled at Ben. Finally, from the lookout aloft came down the rousing hail: "Here he comes! fellows! Here he comes! No---here _they_ come! The whole crowd---Dick & Co.!" A flutter passed through the crowd below, vet not one of the Gridley H.S. boys stirred from the ranks just within the school yard gate. Back on the main steps of the High School building nearly three score of the young ladies were irregularly grouped. They were silent, but expectant. For "The Blade" had been read in many a Gridley home that morning. The news had traveled fast over Gridley. Though the paper had contained no announcement that Prescott would return to school, every High School boy and girl had felt sure of that. Down the street, three abreast, came Dick & Co., with proud, firm stride. Very likely the partners were even more exultant than was Prescott himself. Then the freshman sextette came in full sight from the gateway. "Who's this?" yelled Ben Badger in his loudest voice. From the crowded tanks below welled up the chorus: "Dick & C
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79  
80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Gridley

 

School

 

school

 

Ripley

 

Prescott

 
Darrin
 

Badger

 

Holmes

 

fellows

 
suspicion

ladies

 
building
 

rousing

 

flutter

 

passed

 

lookout

 

Finally

 

questions

 

hurled

 

relief


stirred

 

exultant

 

partners

 

stride

 

freshman

 

sextette

 

crowded

 

welled

 

chorus

 

gateway


yelled

 
loudest
 

abreast

 

street

 

morning

 
grouped
 

silent

 

expectant

 

traveled

 

return


Though

 

contained

 

sought

 

announcement

 

irregularly

 

instant

 
tonight
 

admitted

 

convinced

 

chance