AN INTERVIEW WITH JACK

Ward at once left his room and went to search for Little Pond. He met the lad coming across the campus, and in response to his invitation, the little fellow immediately returned with him, and for a long time they sat together in Pond's room and talked over the plan which Ward had formed.

"You see it's this way," said Ward. "We can't let this thing go on forever, for it's beginning to tell on us already. What with setting the room to rights and never knowing what to expect, it doesn't leave very much time for studying, and that's what I want this term. Now Mike has put a new lock on my door and on yours too, so these fellows won't be able to break in for a day or two, anyway."

"Then I don't see what you can do," said Pond. "If they can't get in, they can't do any mischief, and if they don't do any mischief, you can't catch them."

"That's all true; but what I want is to find out who the fellows are. I know well enough now, but I want the proof, you see. Now, my plan is this. They won't have any keys to the new locks, so they can't get in now if they try, and I don't think they'll try to-day. But to-morrow is Saturday, and in the afternoon we don't have any recitations, you know. Well, I'm going off up to the glen to-morrow afternoon and I'll take pains to let it be known that I sha'n't be in my room. That'll leave the coast all clear, you see, and I think somebody will be pretty sure to come up and try to get in while I'm away. Then I want you to stay in your room and keep watch. You can have your door just a little bit ajar, and whenever you hear any one coming up the stairs, you can keep an eye on them. You can see them without being seen yourself, and if they go and try to get in my room, or come up to yours, why, then we'll know who it is that's doing the work, though I don't think there's any difficulty now in picking out the ones who have been the prime movers in it."

"All right, Ward," replied Pond; "I'll do it."

"You see it's as much to your advantage as it is to mine," said Ward, as he rose to depart. "We don't want this thing kept up any longer, and I think if we can catch the fellows now, we'll put an end to it, though it may break out somewhere else in a worse way."

Satisfied with what he had done, Ward ran down the stairs, and just as he was unlocking the door of his room, Henry and Jack Hobart came up together into the hall. Ward's first impulse was to turn and leave the building. He had no desire to meet Jack then, but quickly changing his purpose, he unlocked the door and waited for the two boys to enter.

"Hello, Ward!" said Jack. "We've been talking about you, and finally decided we'd better stop that and come straight over here and talk to you."

Ward made no reply, and as Henry was apparently busied in arranging the papers and books on his table, Jack felt that the burden of the conversation was resting upon himself.

Ward noticed that he was somewhat constrained in his manner, nor was he displeased to see it. For was not Jack the one who had obtained Mike's key? And while he might not be the one who had wrought the mischief in his room, still he was so thoroughly satisfied in his own mind that Jack was aware of what was going on and had lent his influence to further it, that it was with something of a feeling of satisfaction he noted the evident uneasiness of his visitor.

"The way of it is this," said Jack, breaking in upon the awkward silence. "We need you on the nine, Ward, there's no mistake about that. If we are going to have any show against the Burrs this fall, we've just got to have your help. There's no mistake about that, and that's what I've come over to talk with you about."

"Did Tim Pickard send you?" asked Ward, making no effort to conceal the sneer on his face.

"No," said Jack quietly, "and that's where the mischief comes in. There's no doubt that Tim's down on you, Ward. You don't need me to tell you that."

"Hardly."

"But Tim isn't the whole of the Weston school. It's true he's got a lot of the fellows under his thumb and they'll do just what he tells them to. That's the way he succeeded in shutting you off from the nine. He pretended to call a meeting, but he never told Henry here nor me about it. He claims he had a majority there and that they voted not to have you on the nine this fall. He couldn't have done it if we'd been there, and Tim knows it too."

Ward still made no reply save to glance at Jack, who was now talking eagerly and apparently had overcome his recent feeling of embarrassment.

"Henry and I have been talking it over," continued Jack, "and we've about decided that we've found a way out, and that's what I came over especially to explain. Now, Ward, if you'll go in with us I think we'll have it fixed up in no time."

"I can't go in when I don't know what it is you want me to go into."

"It's this, Ward. Henry and I have decided that we sha'n't play on the nine unless you are taken on too."

"What?" said Ward abruptly.

He could hardly believe the words he had just heard. That Jack, who had taken Professor Mike's key, and who plainly must be aware of the troubles which were besetting him now on every side, should be the one to make such a proposition as that to which he had just listened seemed to Ward almost incredible. It would completely change every plan in his mind if Jack meant what he had said, and so far as appearances went, the boy seemed to be thoroughly in earnest.

"Yes," said Jack, "that's just what I mean. I don't believe that even Tim would care to lose both Henry and me just now, for he'd know he'd have the whole school down on him at once. It's bad enough to lose you, and there are a lot of the fellows who don't like it a little bit. Tim knows it, but he won't let on. Now, if Henry and I just quit too, it'll place Tim in a box too tight even for him."

"Then your plan is to force Tim to take me on the nine by threatening to leave yourselves if he doesn't, is it?" said Ward slowly.

"That's it, that's it," said Jack eagerly. "He'll have to come to time then."

"Well, I don't think I shall do it," said Ward deliberately. "Not that I shouldn't like to play on the nine. I'm not foolish enough to deny that, for I should, of course; but I don't care to force myself in where I'm not wanted."

"That isn't it, Ward," said Jack still more eagerly. "You are wanted--that is, nearly every fellow in the school wants you except Tim Pickard. Now, the question is whether you're going to let one fellow like Tim stand against the whole school. Why, I think even Luscious will go into the scheme and help squeeze Tim."

Ward felt that in spite of all his efforts his heart was becoming softer. Always susceptible to praise, the words of Jack were like balm to his troubled soul. He longed, far more than any one knew, to be at peace with the boys, and if once he were restored to his position on the nine, he felt confident he could easily regain his popularity.

But his anger at Tim was still strong, though Jack puzzled him sadly. Could it be that he had a share in the schemes which were then afoot? The mystery of the stolen key certainly indicated something of the kind, and yet with all his faults Jack Hobart would not lie, Ward felt assured of that. The thought of Jack's honesty suddenly brought Ward to a quick determination. He would speak to him without reserve of his troubles and see how he received his words.

"Jack," he said abruptly, "did you know that we'd had our room stacked almost every day since we came back to Weston?"

"No," said Jack in genuine surprise; "I didn't know a thing about it. You've kept it to yourself pretty well, not even to mention it to me."

"Well, it's been stacked, that's sure. I think we've spent more time tacking down our carpet and setting up our b............