“You wouldn’t if it might mean losing your chance of coming back after Christmas.  I need that scholarship the worst way and I have a hunch that I’ll get it if I don’t get into trouble.  I had it last year, you know.  I haven’t done very well with business this Fall; fellows haven’t seemed to want things much.  No, if Dreer figured out that I wouldn’t go after him on account of the scholarship, he guessed about right.  I’d like to”—­Penny’s voice trembled—­“to half kill him, but—­I won’t!”

“Then tell faculty, Durkin.  Have him fired out of school.  Do—­do something!”

“No use telling faculty; I can’t prove it on him.  Besides, I don’t like the idea of playing baby.  And, anyway, nothing I could do to Dreer would give me my violin back the way it was.  It—­it had a grand tone, Thayer!  You’ve heard it!”

“Yes.”  Clint had to suppress a smile.  “Yes, I’ve heard it often, Durkin.  It did have a good tone; nice and—­and clear.”

“There isn’t a better instrument made than a Moretti,” said Penny sadly.  “I can have it fixed so it won’t show, but it won’t ever be the same.”  He laid the violin back in the case very tenderly and spread the white silk handkerchief across the strings.  “If you don’t mind, Thayer, I’d just as leave you didn’t say much about this.”

“All right,” agreed Clint gruffly.  “Mind if I tell Amy, though?”

“Oh, no, only I—­I’d rather it didn’t get around.  Some of the fellows don’t like my playing, anyhow, you see, and they’d do a lot of talking.”

Clint took his departure a minute later, after renewed regrets, and went back to his room.  Amy was still absent and it was not until after supper that they met.

CHAPTER XVI

AMY TAKES A HAND

Clint told Amy about Penny’s violin without mentioning the latter’s suspicion.  Amy listened with darkening face and when Clint had ended said:  “Dreer, eh?  It’s the sort of thing you’d expect from him.  What’s Penny going to do?”

Clint explained about the scholarship and Amy nodded.  “I see.  I guess he’s right.  Dreer would be sure to go to Josh and Penny’d get what-for; and then it would be good-bye, scholarship!  Unless—­” Amy paused thoughtfully.

“Unless what?”

“Unless he could induce our friend Dreer to ’fess up.”

“Not likely!”

“N-no, not very.  Still—­Well, I’m sorry for old Penny.”

“Durkin asked me not to say anything about it, Amy.”

“So you told me?” laughed the other.

“He said I might tell you.  I guess he was afraid if the fellows learned of it they’d cheer!”

Amy chuckled.  “Bet they would, too!  Where’s my dear old German dictionary?”

The two boys settled down at opposite sides of the table to study.  After a few minutes, Clint whose thoughts still dwelt on Penny’s tragedy, asked:  “What made you think it was Dreer, Amy?”