CHAPTER IV
THE ACCUSATION
For what seemed a long time Mr. Tetlow stood looking over the room fullof pupils. One could have heard a pin drop, so quiet was it. The hardbreathing of the boys and girls could be heard. From over in a cornerwhere Danny Rugg sat, came a sound of whispering.
"Quiet!" commanded the principal sharply. "There must be no talking. Iwill wait one minute more for the guilty ones to acknowledge that theyrolled the big snowball on the steps. Then, if they do not speak, Ishall have something else to say."
The minute ticked slowly off on the big clock. No one spoke. Bertglanced from side to side as he sat in his seat, wondering what wouldcome next. Many others had the same thought.
"I see no one wishes to take advantage of my offer," said Mr. Tetlowslowly. "Very well. You may all go to your class-rooms, with theexception of Bert Bobbsey. I wish to see him in my office at once. Doyou hear, Bert?"
There was a gasp of astonishment, and all eyes were turned on Bert. Hegrew red in the face, and then pale. He could see Nan looking at himcuriously, as did other girls. Bert was glad Flossie and Freddie werenot in the room, for the kindergarten children did not assemble formorning exercises with the larger boys and girls. Flossie and Freddiemight have been frightened at the solemn talk.
For a moment Bert could hardly believe what he had heard. He was wantedin Mr. Tetlow's office! It did not seem possible. And there was but oneexplanation of it. It must be in connection with the big snowball. AndBert knew he had had no hand in putting it on the school steps.
There was a buzz of talk, many whisperings, and some one spoke aloud. Itsounded like Danny Rugg, but poor Bert was so confused at his own plightthat he could not be sure.
"Silence!" commanded Mr. Tetlow, as the boys and girls marched to theirvarious rooms. "Bert, you will wait for me in my office," he added. PoorBert looked all around. He met many glances that were kind, and others,from Danny Rugg's friends, that were not. Nan waved her hand at herbrother as she passed him, and Bert smiled at her. He made up his mindto be brave. Bert went to the principal's office, and sat in a chair.There was another boy there, who looked at Bert in a questioning manner.
"Are you here to get some writing paper, Bert?" asked the other boy."Miss Kennedy sent me for some."
"No," answered Bert. "I only wish I was. I guess Mr. Tetlow thinks I hadsomething to do with the big snowball."
"Did you?"
"I did not!" exclaimed Bert quickly.
The principal entered a little later, gave to the other boy the packageof writing paper Miss Kennedy had sent for, and then sat down besideBert.
"I am sorry to have to do this, Bert," he said, "but this is a seriousmatter and I must treat it seriously. Now again, I ask if you haveanything to say to me? Perhaps you were too worried to stand up beforethe whole school."
"No, sir," answered Bert, "I don't know that I have anything to say, ifyou mean about the big snowball."
"Then you deny that you had anything to do with it?"
"Yes, sir. I never helped roll it on the steps."
"Do you know who did?"
"No, sir. I haven't the least idea."
"And you were not anywhere near it?"
"No, sir."
"Ahem! Let me ask you, have you a knife, Bert?"
Without thinking Bert's hand went to his pocket, and then, as herecalled something, his face turned red, and he said:
"I have one, but I haven't got it now."
"Is this it?" asked Mr. Tetlow, suddenly holding out one.
Bert did not need to give more than a single glance at it to know thatit was his knife. It had his name on the handle and had been given himby his father at Christmas.
"Yes, that's mine," he said slowly.
"So I thought. And do you know where it was found, Bert?"
"No, Mr. Tetlow, I haven't any idea."
"Suppose I told you the janitor picked it up on the steps almost underthe big snowball? If I tell you that what have you to say?"
"Well, Mr. Tetlow, I'll have to say that I don't know anything about it.I didn't drop my knife there, I'm sure."
"Then someone else must have done it. Be careful now, Bert. I don't wantto be hasty, but it looks to me very much as though you were one of theboys who had played this trick--a trick that has made considerabletrouble. I am sure there must have been others concerned with you, and Iam almost positive that you had a hand in it.
"Now I am not going to ask you to tell tales against your companions. Idon't believe in that sort of thing. But I am very sorry that you didnot admit at first that you had a share in rolling the big ball. Verysorry, Bert."
"But, Mr. Tetlow, I didn't do it!" cried poor Bert, the tears cominginto his eyes. "I don't know how my knife got there, but I do know Ididn't help roll that ball. Please believe me; won't you?"
For a moment the principal was silent. Then he said slowly:
"Bert, I would very much like to believe you, for I have always foundyou a good, manly and upright boy. But the evidence is strong againstyou I am sorry to say. And this trick was one I can not easily overlook.Rolling the snowball on the steps was bad enough, but when water waspoured over it, to freeze, and become ice, making it so much harder toclean off, it made matters so much worse.
"Besides making a lot of work for the janitor, there was danger thatsome of the teachers might slip on the icy path and be injured. If yourknife had only been found lying on top of the ice I might think you hadcome up merely to look at the big ball, and had dropped your propertythere. But the knife was found frozen fast, showing that it must havebeen dropped during the time the water was poured on the steps. So yousee whoever left it there must have been on hand when the trick wasplayed."
"That may be true, Mr. Tetlow!" cried Bert, "but I did not leave myknife there. I remember now--I can explain it! I couldn't think, atfirst, but I see it now."
"Very well," said Mr. Tetlow quietly, "I'll hear what you have to say,Bert."