CHAPTER XXXV
FOR THE HONOR OF YALE
"What does this mean? You fellows sure have your nerve with you! Let mego, or I'll----"
Mortimer stormed and raved, struggling to get loose from the grip ofAndy and Dunk.
"I'll make you fellows sweat for this!" he cried "I'll fix you!I--I'll----"
"You'd better keep quiet, if you know what's best for you," panted Andy."We hate this business as much as you ever can, Gaffington! Don't letthe whole college know about it. Keep quiet, for the honor of Yale whosename you've disgraced. Keep quiet, for we've got the goods on you andthe jig is up!"
It was a tense moment, and Andy might well be pardoned for speaking abit theatrically. Truth to tell he hardly knew what he was saying.
"Yes, take it easy, Gaffington," advised Dunk. "We don't want to make aholiday of this affair; but you're at the end of your rope and thesooner you know it the better. We've caught you. Take it easy and we'llbe as easy as we can."
"Caught me! What do you mean?" asked the unfortunate lad excitedly."Can't I come to your room to borrow a book without being jumped on asif I----"
"Exactly! As though you were the thief that you are!" said Andy,bitterly. "What does this mean?"
With a quick motion, letting go of one of Mortimer's wrists, Andyreached into the other's pocket and pulled out the bills. "They'remarked with our initials," he said, and his voice was sad, rather thantriumphant. "We left them there to see if you'd take them."
The production of the bills took all the fight out of MortimerGaffington. He ceased his struggling and sank limply into a chair whichDunk pushed forward for him.
There followed a moment of silence--a silence that neither Andy or Dunkever forgot. The quadrangle thief moistened his dry lips once or twiceand then said hoarsely:
"Well, what are you going to do about it?"
"That's the question," spoke Andy, wearily. "What _are_ we going todo about it?"
"Are you going to deny it?" asked Dunk. "Before you answer, think whatit means. An innocent man is under charges for these thefts."
Mortimer did not answer for a moment. When he did speak it was to say:
"No, I'm going to deny nothing. You have caught me. I own up. What areyou going to do about it?"
"That's just it," said Dunk. "We don't know what to do about it."
Silently Mortimer began taking from his pockets several pieces ofjewelry, evidently the things he had stolen from the rooms of otherstudents.
"That's all I have," he said, bitterly.
Andy and Dunk looked at him a moment without speaking and then Andyasked:
"Why did you do it, Mortimer?"
"Why? I guess you know as well as I do. Everything is gone--dad's wholefortune wiped out. We haven't a dollar, and I had to leave Yale. We keptit quiet as long as we could. I didn't want to leave. I couldn't bearto!
"Oh, call it what you like--foolish pride perhaps, but I wanted to stayhere and finish as I'd begun--with the best of the spenders. That's whatI've been--a spender. I couldn't be otherwise--I was brought up thatway. So, when I found I couldn't get any money any other way I beganstealing. I'm not looking for sympathy--I'm telling the plain truth. Itook your watch, Dunk. I took those books. I smuggled one into LinkBardon's room, hoping he'd be suspected. There's no use in saying I'msorry. You wouldn't believe me. It's all up. You've got me right!"
He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands.
Andy and Dunk felt the lumps rising in their throats. They had to fightback the tears from their eyes. Never before had they taken part in sucha grim tragedy--never again did they want to.
"You--you admit all the quadrangle thefts?" faltered Andy.
"Every one," was the low answer. "I took Carr's book and silver cup--Ihid them in the closet that day you fellows caught me. I took Pulter'sbook, too. I was desperate--I'd take anything. I just had to have themoney. I took the money Len thought he lost that night in the campus.Well, this is the end."
"Yes, it's the end," said Dunk, softly, "but not for us. We've got tothink of Yale."
There was a footstep outside the door. The three started up in somealarm. They were not ready yet for disclosures.
"Beg pardon," said a calm voice, "but I could not help hearing what wassaid. Perhaps I can help you."
Andy swung open the door wider, and saw, standing in the hall, a man herecognized as one taking a post-graduate course in the Medical School.He was Nathan Conklin, and had taken a room in the freshman dormitorybecause no other was available just at that time.
"Do you want some advice?" asked Conklin. He was a pleasant chap,considerably older than Andy or Dunk. And he seemed to know life.
"I guess that's just what we do want," said Andy. "We are up againstit. We have caught--er----"
"You needn't explain," said Conklin. "The less said on such occasionsthe better. I happened to be passing and I could not help hearing. WhatI didn't hear I guessed. Now I'm going to say a few words.
"Boys, Yale is bigger than any of us--better than any of us. We've gotto consider the honor of Yale above everything else."
Andy and Dunk nodded. Mortimer sat with his face buried in his hands.
"Now then," went on Conklin, "for the honor of Yale, and not to save thereputation of anybody, we must hush up this scandal. It must go nofarther than this room. Gaffington, are you willing to leave Yale?"
"I suppose I'll have to," Mortimer answered, without looking up.
"Yes, you would have to go if this came out, and it's better that youshould go without it becoming known. Now then, are you willing to makerestitution?"
"I can't. I haven't a dollar in the world."
"Let that go," said Dunk, quickly. "We fellows will see to that. I guessthose that have missed things won't insist on getting them back; they'lldo that much for the honor of Yale."
"About this other man who is under charges, are you willing to givetestimony--in private to the judge--that will result in freeing him?"asked Conklin.
"Yes," whispered Mortimer.
"Then that's all that's necessary," went on the medical student. "I'llgo see the Dean. You'd better come with me, Gaffington. I'll take chargeof this case."
"Thank heaven!" said Andy, with a sigh of relief. "It was getting toomuch for me."
With bowed head Mortimer Gaffington followed the medical student fromthe room. What transpired at the interview with the Dean neither Dunknor Andy ever learned. Nor did they ask. It was better not to know toomuch.
But Mortimer left Yale, and the honor of the college was untarnished, atleast by anything that became known of his actions. He slipped awayquietly, it being given out that his family was going abroad. And theGaffingtons did leave Dunmore, going no one knew whither.
A certain secret meeting was held, when without a name being mentioned,it was explained by Andy, Dunk and Conklin that the quadrangle thiefhad been discovered. It was stated that those who had suffered losseswould be reimbursed by private subscription, but the idea was rejectedunanimously.
How Mortimer worked, and how he accomplished the various robberies,without being detected, remained a mystery. No one cared to go into it,for it was too delicate a subject.
The charge against Link was dismissed after a certain interview the Deanhad with the county prosecutor, and Link was given his old place back.
"But if it had come to a trial," he said to Andy, when he was told thatthe thief (no name being mentioned) had confessed, "if I had been triedI could have told where that mysterious hundred dollars came from."
"Where?" asked Andy interestedly.
"From that farmer you saved me from. He got religion lately, and feltremorse for my injured arm. So he sent me the hundred dollars for mydoctor's bill and other expenses."
"And never said a word about it?" asked Dunk.
"Not a word. But he died the other day, and the truth came out. A fellowI know in the town wrote me about it. So I could have proved that Ididn't get the money by stealing."
"It wasn't necessary," said Andy. "So everything is explained now."
Andy's first year at Yale was nearing its close. The season was to windup with a series of affairs and with several ball games, including onefor the freshman team. Of course Dunk and Andy played. I wish I couldsay that Yale won, but truth compels me to state that Princeton"trimmed" her.
"And we'll do it again!" exulted Ben Snow, as he greeted Andy after thecontest.
"I don't know about that!" was the answer. Then Andy hurried off towhere a certain pretty girl waited for him. No, I'm not going to mentionher name. You wouldn't know her, anyhow.
"Well," remarked Andy, as he and Dunk were packing up to go home for thesummer holidays, "college is a great place."
"Especially Yale."
"Oh, I don't know. Of course I think there's no place like Yale, butthere are others."
And so Andy and Dunk packed up and prepared to start for home, agreeingto room together again during their sophomore year, and until they hadcompleted their college course.
They had locked their trunks, and their valises where ready. When came aknock on their door, and a voice said:
"Such bargains! Never before have I had such neckties and silk socks!Fellows, let me show you----"
"Get out, you Shylock!" laughed Andy, locking the portal. "We've onlygot money enough for our railroad fare!"
And Ikey Stein departed, looking for other bargain victims.
"Come on," suggested Dunk, "let's take a walk over the campus and saygood-bye to the fellows."
"I'm with you," agreed Andy.
And arm in arm they departed.
THE END
Andy at Yale Page 35
