unless it
was necessary to clear Norris. I hesitated for a long time whether,
knowing as much as I did, I ought not to take some steps in the matter;
but for the reasons I have told you I determined to wait, hoping that
you would soon have Norris back again, and knowing that I should hear of
his return from some of the boys who were his special friends. Barkley
must have seen from my manner that there was something wrong between him
and me; but he never asked me the reason for the change in my manner to
him, and completely ignored my coolness. It was a relief to me when the
time came for his going up to the University, for I then felt that some
of the responsibility was off my shoulders, and that I was no longer
shirking my duty to expose him.

"That is all, Captain Bayley; but I think that this, with what you have
told me, is quite sufficient to bring the guilt home to the true party,
and to completely clear Norris."

"Quite sufficient," Captain Bayley said, "and I am thankful indeed that
you obtained the one missing link of evidence necessary to prove Frank's
innocence. I am greatly obliged to you, Mr. Richards, for the kind and
thoughtful manner in which you acted, which was indeed in every way for
the best; for had I at the time been made aware that Fred was the
culprit, I should have gone half out of my mind at the injustice we had
done Frank, and at not knowing where to find him or how to communicate
with him. And now what is to be done next? I do not want this unhappy
lad to be punished, but at the same time it is absolutely necessary that
Frank's innocence shall be publicly proclaimed. Fred will no doubt
brazen it out."

There was silence for a minute or two, and then Mr. Richards said.

"If you like, Captain Bayley, I will take the matter in hand. I will
write to Barkley and tell him that Norris has now come home, and that I
must therefore take up the matter at the point at which I dropped it. I
will recapitulate to him the reasons that there are for supposing that
he stole the money,--first, his interest in Frank's disgrace; secondly,
the fact that he was seen writing a letter in printed characters on the
day on which the note was sent to Norris; thirdly, his suppression of
the letter to yourself; fourthly, the part he took in persuading Norris
to run away; lastly, the hints which you say he gave you that Norris had
confessed his guilt.

"I shall tell him I have had this interview with you; that you are