If a flash of lightning had struck him where he sat, Hector could not have been more astonished.  For a moment he was struck dumb, and did not move.

“Stand up, Hector Roscoe!” repeated the principal.  “No wonder you sit there as if paralyzed.  You did not expect that so soon your sin would find you out.”

Then Hector recovered completely his self-possession.  He sprang to his feet, and not only that, but he strode forward, blazing with passion, till he stood before Mr. Smith’s desk and confronted him.

“Mr. Smith!” he said, in a ringing tone, “do I understand you to charge me with stealing a wallet of yours containing money?”

“I do so charge you, and I have complete evidence of the truth of my charge.  What have you to say?”

“What have I to say?” repeated Hector, looking around him proudly and scornfully.  “I have to say that it is an infamous lie!”

“Hold, sir!” exclaimed Socrates, angrily.  “Shameless boy, do you intend to brazen it out?  Did I not tell you that I had complete proof of the truth of the charge?”

“I don’t care what fancied proof you have.  I denounce the charge as a lie.”

“That won’t do, sir!  I myself took the wallet from the pocket of your pantaloons, hanging in the chamber.  Mrs. Smith was with me and witnessed my discovery, and there was another present, one of the pupils of this institute, who also can testify to the fact.  It is useless for you to deny it!”

“You found the wallet in the pocket of my pantaloons?” asked Hector, slowly.

“Yes.  There can be no doubt about that.”

“Who put it there?” demanded Hector, quickly.

Socrates Smith was staggered, for he had not expected this query from the accused.

“Who put it there?” he repeated.

“Yes, sir,” continued Hector, firmly.  “If the matter is as you state it, some one has been mean enough to put the wallet into my pocket in order to implicate me in a theft.”

“Of course you put it there yourself, Roscoe.  Your defense is very lame.”

Hector turned round to his fellow-scholars.

“Boys,” he said, “you have heard the charge that has been made against me.  You know me pretty well by this time.  Is there any one of you that believes it to be true?”

“No!  No!” shouted the boys, with one exception.  Jim Smith was heard to say distinctly, “I believe it!”

“Silence in the school!” shouted Socrates.  “This is altogether irregular, and I won’t have it.”

Hector turned to the principal, and said, calmly: 

“You see, Mr. Smith, that, in spite of your proof, these boys will not believe that your charge is well founded.”

“That is neither here nor there, Roscoe.  Will anyone step up and prove your innocence?”

There was another sensation.  In the second row back a boy was seen to rise.

“Mr. Smith,” said Ben Platt, “I can prove Roscoe’s innocence!”