Ditson protested his innocence.  He even called Kirby a liar, and Frank was forced to keep the ruffian from hammering him.  He swore it was some kind of a plot to injure him, and he called on the boys to know if they would take the word of a wretch like Kirby in preference to his.

“Oh, get out!” exclaimed Putnam in disgust.  “Take my advice and leave Yale at once.  If you do not, I’ll publish the whole story, and you will find yourself run out.  Go!”

Ditson sneaked away.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

“Play ball!’”

Before night Merriwell received an appealing letter from Ditson, in which the young scapegrace protested his sorrow and entreated Frank to do what he could to keep the matter quiet, so he would not be forced to leave Yale.

Ditson declared it would break his mother’s heart if he failed to complete his course at Yale.  Over and over he entreated forgiveness, telling how sorry he was that he had ever tried to injure Merriwell in any way, and declaring that, if Frank would forgive and forget, he would never cause him any further trouble.

Frank pondered over the letter so long, and with sach a serious look on his face, that Harry asked him what he had struck.  Then Merriwell read it to his roommate.

“Oh, what a snizerable meak—­I mean miserable sneak, that fellow is!” exclaimed Harry.  “He goes into a dirty piece of business like this, and then he gets down and crawls—­actually crawls!”

“I have no doubt but his mother is proud of him,” said Frank.  “He says he is an only son.  It is his mother, not Ditson, I am thinking about.  I do not wish to cause her so much pain.”

“Oh, come off!  If a fellow is such a snake as Ditson, he must get it from his parents on one side or the other.  Perhaps his mother is not so good.”

“I do not wish to think that of any fellow’s mother.  I much prefer to think that he takes all his bad qualities from the other side of the house.  I remember my own mother—­the dearest, gentlest, sweetest woman in all the world!  How she loved me!  How proud she was of me!  All the better part of my nature I owe to her, God bless her!”

Frank spoke with deep feeling, and Rattleton was touched and silenced.  Merriwell arose and walked the floor, and there was an expression of the utmost tenderness and adoration on his face—­a look that brought something like a mist to Harry’s eyes.  Frank seemed to have forgotten his companion, and he gently murmured: 

“My angel mother!”

That was too much for Harry, and he coughed huskily, in an attempt to break the spell without being rude.  Frank immediately turned, and said: 

“I beg your pardon, old man.  I forgot myself, for a moment.”

“Oh, don’t pard my begoner—­that is, begon my pard—­no, I mean peg my bardon!  Hang it all!  I’m all twisted!  I don’t know what I am trying to say!”