"I got that from Langridge last term," went on Sid, "and I saved it, for some unknown reason. I'm glad, now, that I did." "Why?" inquired Tom, who began to see what was coming. "Because, look at that!" and Sid placed side by side the note from Langridge and the envelope that had contained the damaging clipping. He held the magnifying glass first over one and then the other. "Do you notice any similarity?" he asked. "Looks to me as if the same person wrote both," said Tom. "That's right," agreed Phil. "They did!" cried Sid, as he held up the envelope. "Fred Langridge sent to Miss Harrison that lying clipping about me, and to-day he was out walking with her!" CHAPTER IX A CLASH Sid stood facing his two chums, and his breath came quick and fast. He was much worked up over his discovery, as were also his roommates. "From the time I picked up this envelope, after that day when we had lunch with your sister, Phil," he went on, "I've been trying to think in whose handwriting it was. Perhaps I had no right to take the envelope, but I couldn't help it after she--Miss Harrison dropped it. To-night, after I saw him--saw Langridge out walking with her--I came back here, and I had a suspicion. I knew I had an old note of Langridge's somewhere around. I found it, and compared it with the envelope. You see what it shows." "He must have sent her the clipping," agreed Tom. "But why?" "Easy enough to see that," answered Sid. "He was mad because I--er--I happened to go with her a few times, and he is taking this course to give me a bad name, though if she only knew it Langridge is no white-ribboner." "Maybe that was a fake clipping," suggested Phil. "I've heard of such things being done before. Langridge might have hired a printer to set that item up so that it looked as if it was cut from a newspaper." "No," answered Sid quietly. "The item was genuine. I have a similar one I cut from the Haddonfield _Herald_." "But it isn't true?" inquired Tom. "No--that is--well, I can't say anything about it," and Sid looked miserable again. "But I'm glad I found out who sent it to Miss Harrison." "What are you going to do about it?" asked Tom. "I'm going to have it out with Langridge the first time I meet him. I'll punch----" "Better go slow," advised Phil. "Take it easy, old man. Langridge is a slick article. We know that of old. If you try a rough-house he'll have you at a disadvantage." "I can't help it. I'm not going to let him get ahead of me this way." "Oh, forget it and play ball," advised Tom with a laugh, for he felt that the subject was getting too serious, and his heart was wrapped up in his team, despite a certain pretty girl. "I only wish I could--forget it," answered Sid.