Andy felt really sorry for him. Certainly Ikey did not work his way through college on any easy path.
"I"m only too glad to do this for you," said the purchaser. He could not forget what a service Ikey had rendered to him and Dunk, bringing them together when they were on the verge of taking paths that might never converge.
"Well, I"ll see if I can"t find some other easy mark like you," laughed Ikey as he went down the hall.
Andy was about to go to the "eating joint" alone when Dunk came in whistling gaily.
"Ah, ha! Methinks thou hast had a pleasant meeting!" Andy "spouted."
"Right--Oh!" exclaimed his roommate. "It"s all right for to-night, too.
I"ve got a peach for you."
"Light or dark?" asked Andy, critically.
"Dark! Say, but you"re getting mighty particular, though, for a young fellow."
"The same to you. Where do we meet "em, and where do we go?"
"I"ve got it all fixed. Hyperion. Come on, let"s get through grub, I want to dress."
He began searching hurriedly through his pockets, a puzzled look coming over his face.
"Where in the world----" he began. "Oh, I know, I left it here."
"What?"
"My watch. I called to you about it when I went out to the telephone, and----"
"It isn"t here. I looked."
"What!"
"Fact! Unless you stuck it in something."
"No, I left it right on my dresser, on a pile of clean handkerchiefs--h.e.l.lo, where"d these come from?" and he looked at the ones Andy had bought of Ikey.
"Oh, another bargain from our mutual friend," and Andy mentioned the price.
"That is a bargain, all right. I must get some. But look here, where"s my watch?"
"I"m sure I don"t know. Did you leave it here?"
"I certainly did. I remember now, I put it on the pile of handkerchiefs just before I went to last lecture. Then I came in here, to go out to keep my date, and I didn"t have it. I was going to slip it in my pocket when I was called to the "phone. Look here, here"s the impression of it in the handkerchiefs," and Dunk pointed to a round depression in the pile of soft linen squares. It was just the shape of a watch.
"It was there," said Dunk slowly, looking at Andy.
"And now it"s gone," finished his roommate. Then he remembered several things, and his start of surprise made Dunk look at his chum in a strange way.
"What"s the matter?" asked Dunk.
"I"ll tell you in a minute," said Andy. "I want to think a bit."
CHAPTER XXVI
THE GIRLS
"Well?" asked Dunk, after a pause, during which Andy had sat staring at the fireplace. A blaze had been kindled there, but it had died down, and now there was only a mere flicker.
"Are you sure you left your watch on that pile of handkerchiefs?" asked Andy, slowly.
"Dead sure. I remember it because I thought at the time that I was a chump to treat that ticker the way I did, and I made up my mind I"d get a good chain for it and have my watch pocket lined with chamois leather.
That"s what made me think of it--the softness of the handkerchiefs. Why, Andy, you can see the imprint of it plainly enough."
"Yes, I guess you"re right."
"And it"s gone."
"Right again."
"Were you in the room all the time I was out?"
"Most all the while. I went to get a new electric lamp for the one that had burned out."
"Was anyone here besides you?"
Andy hesitated. Then he answered:
"Yes, two persons."
"Who?"
"Ikey Stein----"
"That----"
Andy held up a warning hand.
"Don"t call any names," he advised. "Ikey did you and me a good service.
We mustn"t forget that."
"All right, I won"t. Who else was in here?"
"Link Bardon."