Part 9 (2/2)

”Say!” he suddenly exclaiht in our quarters, too Did you hear?”

”No,” said Frank, still staring out ”What was it?”

”Sos next door to us It was one There is an awful fuss about it”

”Will they arrest him?” asked Frank

”Why, no; they won't do that, of course He didn't steal it froets as captain, but I don't suppose he likes the idea ofto be an _awful_ fuss about it”

”Did he lose it out of his pocket?” asked Frank

”No; that's the funny part,” said Bill ”He had it on his desk in his study, under a paperweight, in an envelope, and that's the last he ever saw of it Oh, there will be an _awful_ fuss over it! Whoever took it will go to Leavenworth for so ood chance to be sorry about it It is an awful thing”

”Do they suspect anyone?” asked Frank

”I didn't hear anything this ,” said Bill ”We left too early

But there will be an awful fuss Why, it is an _awful_ thing, you know

I didn't know there was anyone over there low enough to steal It makes me feel kind of queer!”

CHAPTER VIII

The day passed rapidly The boys were the first in the dining-car when a meal was announced, and be it said they were almost the last to leave

They had been provided with plenty of money for ”eats,” as the two Major-fathers wisely re Also their section was the first one made up They were tired, and sleepy

They tossed up to see which should take the upper berth, both boys wanting it, and Frank won

They spread their suitcases out on Bill's bed to open them, then Frank decided to take his up with him and climbed up into his lofty berth while Bill boosted and lifted the suitcase after him Bill had packed his own suitcase for the first time, and his mother had smiled as she saw him carefully plant his paja, however, as she knew that another tiet the, so for a little there was silence as the boys spread everything on the beds in a wild effort to locate the arments At last they were found, and the suitcases repacked, hair brushes and tooth paste being salvaged as they went

As Bill slipped into his pajaether with a large, rusty pin He drew it out and from the pocket took a folded envelope

”What in time is this?” he murmured to himself, then smiled as he reflected that it must be a little love letter from his mother He winked mischievously at her picture on his wrist as he tore open the envelope But there was no letter from mother in the envelope Instead it was stuffed with perfectly new, crisp five-dollar bills There were twenty of the his eyes, he laid the beautiful green engravings all over his sheet and counted theer Twenty! He noticed a small piece of paper in the envelope and examined it It read briefly:

”BILL:

”i looked all over Lawton for su nise for you to take to school So please spend this on so you like I will tell your mother what I done so she wont kick Anyhow I aint afraid of her kicking ever since the day i broke her big glass dish that you said was cut It cut ht, but she never said a word, and I bet she wont nohen i explane So remember when this you see, remember Lee That is some poetry partly mine and partly out of a book If I had kept at school the way I should of, I could have made the whole piece up asped Then he gathered the precious e of his berth, hoisted himself up to Frank's level

”Glue your eye to this!” he whispered loudly over the racket of the train ”Gee, have you got the same?”

At the sound of Bill's voice, Frank, as staring at a handful of bills, started violently, then forced a rather shaky smile