With all my
resolves to be patient I found it very hard to bear up as day after day
glided by and nothing took place to throw any light upon the matter. I
could never have borne it, but for Mr. Oswald's assertion that he
believed me innocent. He exercised the utmost vigilance to obtain some
clue to the mystery, but two weeks (which to me seemed two years) glided
by and nothing was gained.
There were two boys among the pupil, named Reuben Mayfield and Thomas
Pierce, they were both older than I and for a long time had evinced
toward me a strong feeling of dislike. From the first Mr. Oswald had
suspected these two boys of having a hand in the affair, but said
nothing to any one of his suspicions; but he never for a moment gave up
the idea that, sooner or later, the truth would come to light. It was
nearly three weeks from the time the affair happened that these two boys
entered the school-room a full half-hour before the usual time for
school to open. No other pupil was present, and they felt free to
indulge in a confidential conversation, which I copy for the benefit of
the reader.
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