A few days after the return of Larry and Ruth to the Hill Doctor Holiday found among his mail an official looking document bearing the seal of the college which Ted attended and which was also his own and Larry’s alma mater.  He opened it carelessly supposing it to be an alumni appeal of some sort but as his-eyes ran down the typed sheet his face grew grave and his lips set in a tight line.  The communication was from the president and informed its recipient that his nephew Edward Holiday was expelled from the college on the confessed charge of gambling.

“We are particularly sorry to be obliged to take this action,” wrote the president, “inasmuch as Edward has shown recently a marked improvement both in class-room work and general conduct which has gone far to eradicate the unfortunate impression made by the lawlessness of his earlier career.  But we cannot overlook so flagrant an offense and are regretfully forced to make an example of the offender.  As you know gambling is strictly against the rules of the institution and your nephew played deliberately for high stakes as he admits and made a considerable sum of money—­three hundred dollars to be precise—­which he disposed of immediately for what purpose he refuses to tell.  Again regretting,” et cetera, et cetera, the letter closed.

But there was also a hand written postscript and an enclosure.

The postscript ran as follows: 

“As a personal friend and not as the president of the college I am sending on the enclosed which may or may not be of importance.  A young girl, Madeline Taylor by name, of Florence, Massachusetts, who has until recently been employed in Berry’s flower shop, was found dead this morning with the gas jet fully turned on, the inference being clearly suicide.  A short time ago a servant from the lodging house where the dead girl resided came to me with a letter addressed to your nephew.  It seems Miss Taylor had given the girl the letter to mail the previous evening and had indeed made a considerable point of its being mailed.  Nevertheless the girl had forgotten to do so and the next day was too frightened to do it fearing the thing might have some connection with the suicide.  She meant to give it to Ted in person but finding him out decided at the last moment to deliver it to me instead.  I am sending the letter to you, as I received it, unopened, and have not and shall not mention the incident to any one else.  I should prefer and am sure that you will also wish that your nephew’s name shall not be associated in any way with the dead girl’s.  Frankly I don’t believe the thing contains any dynamite whatever but I would rather you handled the thing instead of myself.

“Believe me, my dear Holiday, I am heartily sick, and sorry over the whole matter of Ted’s expulsion.  If we had not had his own word for it I should not have believed him guilty.  Even now I have a feeling that there was more behind the thing than we got, something perhaps more to his credit than he was willing to tell.”