fact, there was no writing,
as both the address and the letter itself were printed in rough,
sprawling letters. It read this way:

"Look in Fred Rushton's locker."

The professor was thunderstruck. For several minutes, he sat staring at
the printed words without moving a muscle.

The first shock of amazement gave place to a sharp, gripping pain.

It could not be a coincidence. In the present condition of affairs, this
mysterious note could refer only to one thing--the missing slips of the
algebra test.

Fred Rushton! He, of all boys! Why, he would almost have been ready to
stake his life on the lad's honesty. He was so frank, so square, so
"white." The professor had grown to have the warmest kind of a liking
for him. In study and in sport, he had stood in the first rank, and so
far there had not been the slightest stain on his record.

No, it could not be possible that he had done this dastardly thing. He
was almost tempted to tear the letter up.

And yet--and yet----

He _must_ make sure.

He went to the office of Doctor Rally. From there, after a short
conference, he went in search of Fred.

"Would you mind letting me take a look at your locker, Rushton?" he
asked carelessly.

"Why, certainly not," answered Fred promptly, but wonderingly.

They went to the dormitory which at that hour was deserted.

"Here you are, Professor," he said, opening the locker.

There were some clothes lying there, neatly folded. The professor picked
them up.

There, with the seals still unbroken, lay the missing package!

CHAPTER XXIV

A PUZZLING CASE

Professor Raymond picked the package up and examined it carefully. There
was no sign of tampering with the seals. It was in precisely the same
condition as when he had received it.

"Well," he said, as he looked coldly and accusingly at Fred, "what have
you got to say?"

Fred was looking at the package with wide open and horrified eyes. He
groped for words in his bewilderment, but his tongue seemed unable to
utter them. The silence grew painful.

"Why," he managed to stammer, at last, "I don't know what to say. I
hadn't any idea that there was anything in the locker, except my
clothes."

"How could it have got there unless you put it there?" pursued the
professor.

"I don't know," replied Fred, his head still whirling, "unless some one
else put it there by mistake, thinking it was his own locker. I
certainly never saw the package before. That is,"