It would be natural to suppose that Jim Smith, relying upon hisinfluence with his uncle, would have reported this last "outrage," as hechose to consider it, to the principal, thus securing the punishment ofHector. But he was crafty, and considered that no punishment Hector waslikely to receive would satisfy him. Corporal punishment for taking thepart of an ill-used boy, Hector was probably too spirited to submit to,and, under these circumstances, it would hardly have been inflicted.Besides, Jim was aware that the offense for which Hector had attackedhim was not likely, if made known, to secure sympathy. Even his unclewould be against him, for he was fond of money, and had no wish to losethe new pupil, whose friends were well able to pay for him.
No! He decided that what he wanted was to bring Hector into disgrace.The method did not immediately occur to him, but after a while he sawhis way clear.
His uncle's bedchamber was on the second floor, and Jim's directly overit on the third story. Some of the other boys, including Hector, hadrooms also on the third floor.
Jim was going upstairs one day when, through the door of his uncle'schamber, which chanced to be open, he saw a wallet lying on the bureau.On the impulse of the moment, he walked in on tiptoes, secured thewallet, and slipped it hurriedly into his pocket. Then he made all hasteupstairs, and bolted himself into his own room. Two other boys sleptthere, but both were downstairs in the playground.
Jim took the wallet from his pocket and eagerly scanned the contents.There were eight five-dollar bills and ten dollars in small bills,besides a few papers, which may be accurately described as of no valueto anyone but the owner.
The boy's face assumed a covetous look. He, as well as his uncle, wasfond of money--a taste which, unfortunately, as he regarded it, he wasunable to gratify. His family was poor, and he was received at halfprice by Socrates Smith on the score of relationship, but his allowanceof pocket money was less than that of many of the small boys. He madeup the deficiency, in part, by compelling them to contribute to hispleasures. If any boy purchased candy, or any other delicacy, Jim, if helearned the fact, required him to give him a portion, just as the feudallords exacted tribute from their serfs and dependents. Still, this wasnot wholly satisfactory, and Jim longed, instead, for a supply of moneyto spend as he chose.
So the thought came to him, as he scanned the contents of the wallet:"Why shouldn't I take out one or two of these bills before disposing ofit? No one will lay it to me."
The temptation proved too strong for Jim's power of resistance. Heselected a five-dollar bill and five dollars in small bills, andreluctantly replaced the rest of the money in the wallet.
"So far, so good!" he thought. "That's a good idea."
Then, unlocking the door, he passed along the entry till he came to theroom occupied by Hector. As he or one of the two boys who roomed withhim might be in the room, he looked first through the keyhole.
"The coast is clear!" he said to himself, in a tone of satisfaction.
Still, he opened the door cautiously, and stepped with catlike treadinto the room. Then he looked about the room. Hanging on nails wereseveral garments belonging to the inmates of the room. Jim selected apair of pants which he knew belonged to Hector, and hurrying forward,thrust the wallet into one of the side pockets. Then, with a look ofsatisfaction, he left the room, shutting the door carefully behind him.
"There," he said to himself, with exultation. "That'll fix him! Perhapshe'll wish he hadn't put on quite so many airs."
He was rather annoyed, as he walked along the corridor, back to hisown room, to encounter Wilkins. He had artfully chosen a time when hethought all the boys would be out, and he heartily wished that someuntoward chance had not brought Wilkins in.
"Where are you going, Jim?" asked Wilkins.
"I went to Bates' room, thinking he might be in, but he wasn't."
"Do you want him? I left him out on the playground."
"Oh, it's no matter! It'll keep!" said Jim, indifferently.
"I got out of that pretty well!" he reflected complacently.
Perhaps Jim Smith would not have felt quite so complacent, if he hadknown that at the time he entered Hector's room it was occupied, thoughhe could not see the occupant. It so chanced that Ben Platt, one ofHector's roommates, was in the closet, concealed from the view of anyoneentering the room, yet so placed that he could see through the partiallyopen door what wras passing in the room.
When he saw Jim Smith enter he was surprised, for he knew that thatyoung man was not on visiting terms with the boy who had discomfited andhumiliated him.
"What on earth can Jim want?" he asked himself.
He did not have long to wait for an answer though not a real one; butactions, as men have often heard, speak louder than words.
When he saw Jim steal up to Hector's pants, and producing a wallet,hastily thrust it into one of the pockets, he could hardly believe thetestimony of his eyes.
"Well!" he ejaculated, inwardly, "I would not have believed it if Ihadn't seen it. I knew Jim was a bully and a tyrant, but I didn't thinkhe was as contemptible as all that."
The wallet he recognized at once, for he had more than once seenSocrates take it out of his pocket.
"It's old Sock's wallet!" he said to himself. "It's clear that Jim hastaken it, and means to have it found in Roscoe's possession. That's asmean a trick as I ever heard of."
Just then Wilkins entered the room. Wilkins and Ben Platt were Hector'stwo roommates.
"Hello, Wilkins! I'm glad you've come just as you have."
"What for, Platt? Do you want to borrow some money?"
"No; there is more money in this room now than there has been for a longtime."
"What do you mean? The governor hasn't sent you a remittance, has he?"
"No."
"Expound your meaning, then, most learned and mysterious chum."
"I will. Within five minutes Jim Smith has been here and left a walletof money."
"Jim been here? I met him in the corridor."
"I warrant he didn't say he had been here."
"No; he said he had been to Bates' room, but didn't find him there."
"That's all gammon! Wilkins, what will you say when I tell you that oldSock's wallet is in this very room!"
"I won't believe it!"
"Look here, then!"
As he spoke, Ben went to Hector's pants and drew out the wallet.
Wilkins started in surprise and dismay.
"How did Roscoe come by that?" he asked; "surely he didn't take it?"
"Of course he didn't. You might know Roscoe better. Didn't you hear mesay just now that Jim brought it here?"
"And put it in Roscoe's pocket?"
"Yes."
"In your presence?"
"Yes; only he didn't know that I was present," said Platt.
"Where were you?"
"In the closet. The door was partly open, and I saw everything."
"What does it all mean?"
"Can't you see? It's Jim's way of coming up with Roscoe. You know hethreatened that he'd fix him."
"All I can say is, that it's a very mean way," said Wilkins in disgust.
He was not a model boy--far from it, indeed!--but he had a sentiment ofhonor that made him dislike and denounce a conspiracy like this.
"It's a dirty trick," he said, warmly.
"I agree with you on that point." "What shall we do about it?"
"Lay low, and wait till the whole thing comes out. When Sock discovershis loss, Jim will be on hand to tell him where his wallet is. Then wecan up and tell all we know."
"Good! There's a jolly row coming!" said Wilkins, smacking his lips.
CHAPTER XVIII. THE MISSING WALLET IS FOUND.