human
That’s right! Don’t let him off till he gives a guess as to the scamp!
gpt
Perhaps he did it himself,
human
See here, Ralph Drayton, if I had been mean enough to play such a miserable trick with the books, I wouldn’t be mean enough to deny it,
gpt
Oh, I forgot; he is ’Saint Bernard’s’ pet billy-goat. _He_ never would do anything bad, would he? Oh no. Then in a change of tone, he added in a conciliatory way,
human
Never mind me, Chester; of course I am funning. No one suspects _you_.
gpt
No, I suppose not,
human
I’ll bet anything that the janitor did it!
gpt
Oh, pooh! The janitor!
human
What did _he_ care about the lesson?
gpt
Well, who then could it be? If I could find out, I’d thrash him for spoiling my book. I’ll get a lecture from father at home when he sees that torn book. You see my brother Nelson is coming next year, and he will take my books as I leave them. My copy was new too!
human
Hold on, Chester! where are you going?
gpt
In,
human
Wait for me; I am going in too. It’s no use to stand here and guess who did the mischief.
gpt
See here, Joe Chester, what do you know about this fuss?
human
You know something. I saw it in your eye just now back there, and I saw it in your red face when old Bernard called the roll. You can’t cheat me!
gpt
Well, Drayton, I am sure I don’t want to cheat you. Yes, I do know something about it.
human
What! do you know who tore the books?
gpt
Yes.
human
Who was it?
gpt
You want to know, really?
human
To be sure I want to know.
gpt
Well, Drayton, it was a fellow about your size; and the sooner he goes to Mr. Bernard and owns it, the better for him and for all the rest of us.
human
It was a fellow about your size.
gpt
Chester, do you mean that I did it?
human
I do mean just that.
gpt
Oh come, Joe, you know better. You are only chaffing. I thought at first that you were in earnest.
human
You thought right then,