"They're headed this way--no use to turn back, I suppose?" asked Phil, as if there was some doubt of it. "No," agreed Tom. "Besides, I want to ask your sister what she thinks of the chances of Fairview beating us." "Oh, she'll tell you her college will win, of course," asserted Phil. "Well, come on," and they walked to meet the girls who had pretended not to notice the approach of the lads. "Oh, why hello, Phil!" called his sister. "Glad to see you; aren't we, Madge?" "Of course," replied Miss Tyler, with a merry laugh. "I'll see you fellows later," murmured Sid, who was very sensitive, and he was about to swing away. "Don't go," urged Tom. "We'll soon be going back." But Sid turned aside. As he did so there came around the corner of the main college building two figures, who strolled over the campus. It needed but a glance to disclose to Tom and Phil who they were--Miss Harrison and Fred Langridge. The couple were chatting and laughing merrily. Instinctively Tom turned to see if Sid had observed them. The second baseman had, and, for an instant he stood staring after the two, who had not seen him. Then, without a word, he kept on his way. "Beautiful evening," remarked Miss Tyler quickly, and she began to talk rapidly about the weather, as if to cover Sid's retreat. As Tom and Phil walked along the corridor leading to their room a little later that night, they saw a light streaming out of the cracks around the portal. "Sid's in there," said Tom. "Yes," agreed Phil, "I wonder----" But he did not finish the sentence. Awkwardly he and Tom pushed in. They started back at the sight of their chum. He was bending over a table on which he had placed a portable electric lamp, the college rooms being illuminated with both gas and the incandescents. Holding a paper in the glow of the bulb, Sid was examining the document with the aid of a magnifying glass. At the same time he seemed to be comparing other pieces of paper with the one he held. "Studying?" asked Tom. "Yes," replied Sid shortly. "Something new?" inquired Phil. "I didn't know you were qualifying for a course in identifying handwriting," for he saw that the papers Sid was looking at contained writing. "Do you see this?" asked Sid suddenly, holding up an envelope. "Why--er--yes," answered Tom. "It's addressed to Miss Harrison, and--but--are you going over with a microscope a letter you've written to her, to see if it will pass muster? She's not as particular as that, you old bat." "I haven't been writing to her," replied Sid coldly. "This is the envelope containing that clipping with my name in it--the report of the gambling raid--I picked up the envelope--that afternoon," and he seemed struggling with some emotion. "What about it?" asked Phil, who did not exactly catch the drift. "This," answered Sid quickly. "Look at this note," and he showed them a missive containing some reference to baseball matters. It was signed "Fred Langridge."