Part 46 (1/2)
This proposal was accepted by the lads of Nos. 11 and 12, and soon nearly all of them were at work over their lessons. The exception was Luke Watson, who said he was ahead in his studies for once.
”I am going to put my clothing in order,” said Luke. ”My closet and my bureau drawers are something fierce. I hardly know where to find a necktie or a shoe any more.”
”You ought to follow Polly's example,” suggested Dave. ”He has everything as neat as a pin.”
”It's easy enough,” said the girlish student. ”All you've got to do is to put everything in its proper place at the start, and then put it back after you have used it.”
”Say, that puts me in mind of a story,” began Shadow. ”Once two boys----”
”Drop it!”
”We are studying, not listening to stories!”
”Throw a book at him if he opens his mouth again!”
”All right, if you don't want to hear it,” murmured Shadow, and turned to his own lessons.
Luke arranged his bureau drawers to his satisfaction, and then went to his clothing closet. Out came several suits of clothing, some shoes and slippers, and a quant.i.ty of other things.
”I don't see why I am keeping these old slippers,” he murmured, half to himself. ”I haven't worn 'em this term. Guess I'll turn 'em over to Pop Swingly. He might get a little good out of 'em.”
”Did you speak to me, Luke?” asked Dave, looking up from his books.
”No. I was musing over these old slippers. I am going to give 'em away.”
”Maybe some poor person would be glad to get them.”
”I don't know any poor person around here. I'll turn 'em over to Pop Swingly. He can----h.e.l.lo, what's this?”
Luke had turned the slippers over in his hand, and from the toe of one of them had dropped a small, s.h.i.+ning object. Luke picked it up with interest.
”Why, it's a watch charm!” exclaimed Dave, coming forward.
”So it is! How did that get in my slipper?”
”What's that?” cried Shadow, coming over, while some of the other students did the same.
”Luke just found this watch charm stuck in the toe of one of his old slippers,” explained Dave.
”That is Nat Poole's charm--the one he lost from his watch-chain!” cried Ben.
”Are you sure, Ben?”
”Pretty sure, yes. I've seen it often enough to know it.”
”Yes, it looks like Nat's charm,” said Roger.
”And was that charm in your slipper?” questioned Shadow, excitedly.
”Yes, it just dropped out.”