Frank's face turned first pale, and then red, and then pale again; all the students and assistants in the room were looking at him. He knew that the professor suspected him of some low trick, and it cut him deep to think that he should be accused in this public way. "I've got a piece of blank paper there," he said, slowly, "on which I have been working out the last problem." "Oh, indeed," returned the professor, sarcastically. "A piece of blank paper, eh? You're quite sure it was a piece of blank paper?" "It was until I began to figure on it." "Oh, you're quite sure of that?" "I am, sir." "And I can tell you, and I'll make an example of you to the whole class in so doing, that when you thought to conceal that paper by crumpling it up in your hand, I caught sight of the under side of it." Frank made no response. He had not the slightest idea what the professor was driving at. "I tell you, I saw what it was in an instant," added the professor. "Very well, sir," said Frank, rather sharply, "I've nothing to say." "Oh, you haven't! Very well, then, what's that?" The professor pointed to the printed examination paper which lay on the desk in plain sight. "I don't intend to be treated like a schoolboy, sir," exclaimed Frank, starting to rise, and making an effort to draw his hand away from the professor's. "If you have any accusation to make against me, you can lay it before the faculty, but I will not sit here to be browbeaten and insulted in this fashion." He drew his hand away, but in so doing made no effort to keep his grip on the paper that he had used for figuring. The professor snatched the paper as it was falling, smoothed it out, and held it up before the entire class. "You see, young gentlemen," he cried, "Merriwell has been doing his examples on the back of one of the stolen examination papers." Frank fairly gasped when he saw that this was the fact. When the professor had announced that the two papers were missing, he had looked with the utmost care all through his desk to see whether one of the missing papers had somehow got laid down there, and was certain that only one had been given to him; yet here was one of the papers, and he had been unconsciously working out an example on the back of it. "We shall lay this matter before the faculty at once," said Prof. Babbitt, sternly; "and meantime, Merriwell, you may leave the room." CHAPTER VI. THE PROFESSOR'S CASE. Frank held his head high as he walked out of the room. There was a flush upon his face, but nothing there or in his manner to indicate his real feelings. They were in truth very much confused. He was simply bewildered at the discovery of one of the examination papers on his desk. How it got there he could not imagine. His heart burned with rage at the way in which Prof. Babbitt accused him in the presence of all the class, and he felt, too, how hopeless it would be to clear himself in the face of this damaging evidence.