Wilmerding moistened his dry lips. “A great deal,” he said slowly. “I――was the――thief, myself.” “You?” exclaimed both men together. Then Locke laughed oddly. “Jove! That was well done, Oggie,” he exclaimed. “We both bit beautifully.” Wilmerding shook his head. His eyes were tortured. “You’re wrong,” he said, more clearly. “I’m not fooling; I mean every word I say.” He reached out, and gripped the edge of a small table standing beside his chair; somehow, the action seemed to steady him. “It’s mighty hard to tell you fellows,” he went on slowly. “I thought the whole wretched business had been buried forever. I never expected to hear of it again, but I can’t let you go on thinking what you do about Elgin. As true as I sit here, I stole those things from Ferris. I didn’t mean to do it, but I took them just the same. Ever since I was a kid I’ve been cursed with a sleepwalking habit, and not the ordinary sort, either. When I’m asleep I do things I’d never dream of doing in my right senses. You remember Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?” Lefty nodded silently. He was too amazed to speak. “Well, in a way I’m a Jekyll and Hyde. I’ve often thought that, sleeping and waking, I have two just such different personalities as those. I’ll never forget the awful sensation of finding out the first time that I’d been into somebody else’s room and stolen a scarfpin off the bureau. It was at a summer hotel, and I managed to put it back without any one finding out. At college I did the same thing every now and then, but never very much, and always managed to get my loot back undiscovered. I thought I’d done the same thing with Ferris’ belongings.” “But, Oggie, this is all rot!” Lefty burst out. “You’re worrying yourself over something which is utterly impossible. I tell you I saw Ferris’ watch fall out of Bert Elgin’s pocket.” “Could you swear to the watch?” Wilmerding asked wearily and without conviction. “Well, it looked exactly like it.” “Must have been some other watch,” Wilmerding returned positively. “Did he ever confess to you that he did the stealing?” “N-o, I can’t say that. In fact, he denied it up and down; but of course he’d do that. I told him unless the things were returned in twenty-four hours I’d go to the dean. They were back on Ferris’ bureau the next morning.” Wilmerding nodded. “Naturally, when I put them there myself. In my sleep I had hidden them behind some books on a shelf, and I didn’t find them until that night. I tell you fellows, you’ve made a terrible mistake. I never cared much for Elgin in the old days, and had very little to do with him, but I can’t keep still and let any man suffer for my own wrongdoing.”