CHAPTER XXV
THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED
The boys, as has been said, were shut out from seeing the lastbasketball game of the series. Chet Belding was at the hospital thatafternoon, having taken up some fruit to Hebe Pocock and Billson. Thelatter would soon go out and would return to his burned-over clearingin the woods.
"Guess that fire helped me as much as it hurt me. I'll have to build anew shanty; but Doc Leffert was in here and said he'd rode over mypiece, and that my heaps of rubbish had burned clean and all I'd haveto do to clear my acres for corn would be to tam-harrow it."
"Hebe isn't getting along as fast as you do, Mr. Billson," said Chet,in a low voice, for the Four Corners fellow was having a hard time toeven move about on crutches.
"Dunno as he deserves any better than he's got," said Billson,grumpily.
"What you so cross about?" laughed Chet. "Surely you're not sore overthe way folks are treating Hester Grimes _now_? She comes pretty nearbeing the heroine of the Hill section."
"Ya-as. They praise her because she done what she did for littleJohnny Doyle. But many of 'em still think she set that foolish boyonto raiding the girls' gymnasium."
"I don't know about that," confessed Chet, slowly. "Although we maybelieve that Rufe had something to do with it, perhaps he did it,after all, because he's not quite right in his head."
"Oh, shucks!" exclaimed Billson. "All because he was crying to be letout of the gym. the night of the first raid?"
"Well, Jackway admits he was there," repeated Chet.
"And Jackway is a good deal of a fool, too," snarled Billson. "Say!there's Rufe and his mother in the corridor now, going to see Johnnyin the children's ward. You bring Rufe into this ward for a minute. Iwant to show you something."
Much puzzled, Chet Belding did as he was bid.
"Come here, Rufie," said Billson, beckoning to the gangling youth. "Iwant to show you somebody. Come here."
Billson swung back a section of the screen that hid Hebron Pocock'sbed. The big fellow was lying there with his eyes closed, but heopened them quickly when Rufe appeared, and scowled.
"Watcher want here, gooney?" he demanded.
Rufus sprang back and looked about for escape, his weak face workingpitifully. But Chet and Billson barred the way of escape. Rufe beganto snivel.
"What's the matter with you?" demanded Chet.
"Are you afraid of this man?" asked Billson.
Rufe nodded, and tried to crowd farther away from the bed.
"What you doing to that kid?" demanded Hebe, sitting up. "What's thematter? Why! that's the softy I saw----"
"He's a bad man. He said he'd kill me if I told!" gasped Rufus.
"Where was that?" asked Billson, with his hand on the boy's arm. "Tellus all about it. He sha'n't touch you, Rufie."
"Aw! I wouldn't have really hurt the gooney," growled Hebe.
"He was in the place where Uncle Bill watches. I hate that oldgymniasium! I wish it would burn down, so I do."
"And when you were in there that night this fellow was there?" askedBillson, shaking the boy a little by the arm.
"Yes. And he broke things. And Uncle was worried afterward. But Inever told," Rufe urged, looking fearfully at Hebe. "I said Iwouldn't----"
"Aw, drop it! You've told on me now, haven't you?" demanded the fellowfrom the Four Corners. "Well, it don't much matter, I reckon. I wantedto queer that Jackway so he'd lose his job. Henry Grimes told me thatif he was discharged he'd speak a good word for me and I'd get it.That's what I was after."
"Yah!" said Billson, with scorn. "You certainly are one meanscoundrel, Pocock. And lettin' folks think mebbe Miss Hester was mixedup in it. Nice feller, you are!"
"Well! I don't see where it's any of _your_ funeral," growled Pocock."You make me tired!"
But the result of Rufe's confession and Pocock's admission changed thelatter's place of abode rather suddenly. Both Chet and Billson decidedthat the truth about the gymnasium raids should be made known at once,and the Board of Education took the matter up promptly. Pocock foundhimself in the infirmary of the county prison, with the chance ofserving three months at hard labor when the prison doctors pronouncedhim able to work.
His attempt to work Jackway out of the job of watchman, so that hecould be appointed to the position, had acted like a boomerang. HebronPocock was most thoroughly punished.
And Chet Belding hurried to spread the tidings of the discovery amongthe girls of Central High, too. He got hold of Laura before the spreadthe basketball teams were to enjoy, and she told Principal Sharp, whowas present. When he made his usual speech of welcome, he tacked ontoit a paragraph regarding the gymnasium mystery.
"Which is," said Mr. Sharp, "a mystery no longer. As I said when firstthe matter was brought to my attention, no pupil of Central High,either male or female, could be guilty of such an abominable crime.Such a malicious piece of mischief had to be originated in a pervertedmind; and we have no such minds at Central High."
"But it has furnished excitement enough for us all to last for therest of the winter," said Laura, later, to her immediate friends. "I'mso glad for Hester! But we've all been stirred up enough about it, Iguess. No more excitement this term, girls!"
Whether Laura's wish came true, or not, the reader will be able tofind out for herself in the perusal of the next volume of this series,entitled "The Girls of Central High on the Stage; Or, The Play ThatTook the Prize."
None of them looked forward to a really "tame" winter, however. Therewould be other basketball games, and plenty of out-of-door sports aswell. As Bobby Hargrew said:
"It's all right to say that school takes up all our time; but it's thefun we get out of school that makes Latin, and French, andmathematics, and--and--Gee Gee bearable! My! suppose we didn't haveathletics at all?"
"That would certainly be a state of existence perfectly unbearable--foryou, Bobby," Nellie Agnew said, gravely. "You'd burst, wouldn't you?"
"Into flinders!" agreed Bobby. "Athletics is the 'scape-valve forme--and I guess it is for some of the rest of you. Now, tell thetruth!"
And her friends had to admit the truth of her declaration.
THE END
THE NAN SHERWOOD SERIES
By Annie Roe Carr
12 mo, cloth, illustrated, and colored jacket
In Annie Roe Carr we have found a young woman of wide experience amonggirls--in schoolroom, in camp and while traveling. She knows girls ofto-day thoroughly--their likes and dislikes--and knows that theydemand almost as much action as do the boys. And she knowshumor--good, clean fun and plenty of it.
NAN SHERWOOD AT PINE CAMP or The Old Lumberman's Secret
NAN SHERWOOD AT LAKEVIEW HALL or The Mystery of the Haunted Boathouse
NAN SHERWOOD'S WINTER HOLIDAYS or Rescuing the Runaways
NAN SHERWOOD AT ROSE RANCH or The Old Mexican's Treasure
NAN SHERWOOD AT PALM BEACH or Strange Adventures Among the Orange Groves
Transcriber's notes:
Original publication data: Publisher: The World Syndicate Publishing Co., Cleveland, O. Copyright: 1914, by Grosset & Dunlap Printer: The Commercial Bookbinding Co., Cleveland, O.
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