Frank snatched the picture from the board and stuffed it into his pocket, glaring about him at the snickering students. When he turned to Joe, he expected to find him laughing as well, but the younger boy's blue eyes were serious, and there was a grim set to his mouth.
"Whoever broke into Callie's and Vanessa's must go to school here," he muttered. "I wonder what was taken from Van's house; this was what was ripped off from Callie." Although Joe found the actual prank funny, he didn't find the method, i.e., breaking and entering, to be very humorous.
"Yeah, you're right." Frank agreed. He sighed somewhat bitterly. "I hope Callie didn't see it…but she'll hear about it, no question of that." He headed towards the stairs again. "I need to get my Chemistry book for class." he said.
"I've got to go to the library and get some new textbooks." Joe remarked, and headed in the opposite direction. The librarian issued him the new books, only making the comment that he would be billed for the old ones. Joe resented that a bit…he hadn't had anything to do with destroying them, he thought! It didn't seem quite fair that he should have to pay for them! But the only alternative was catching the person who had placed the bomb in his backpack, and he was stymied in that endeavor.
Joe went to his homeroom and settled into his usual seat. As the class bell rang, Mr. Rudy Drew, his teacher, entered the room and sat down at his desk, opening a desk drawer to get out his roll book. The man frowned curiously, for lying on top of the book was a sheet of paper. He picked it up and turned it over, and a scowl crossed his face. Silently, he rose and made his way back to where Joe was sitting, holding the paper in his hand.
"Joe."
Joe looked up into Mr. Drew's forbidding face. About 6' tall, with receding brown hair and sharp brown eyes, his homeroom teacher had an aristocratic-looking face, with its aquiline nose and thin lips. Usually, he looked stern, but approachable…but not now!
"Did you draw this?" Mr. Drew held the paper up for his inspection. Joe looked at it, and felt a pang of guilt. He had drawn it at Vanessa's request; she'd wanted a caricature of Abraham Lincoln. Joe had done his best, but the picture had ended up looking more like his homeroom teacher, with a garish tie and a wig that stood on end!
"Yessir." Joe mumbled, nodding
"Joe, I am extremely displeased and disappointed in you. This was an incredibly impolite action, and you will be punished. Two hours' detention after school today."
"But…!" Joe started to protest. What was Mr. Drew so mad about? It wasn't supposed to be him….
"Quiet!" the teacher snapped. "Another word from you and it's a week's detention, not a day."
Joe snapped his mouth shut and swallowed the hot words. He wasn't about to risk getting a week's detention. But…It's not fair! his mind shouted. The trick played on Frank was funny, but this…this isn't fair!
As Mr. Drew scolded Joe, he switched the paper from his left hand to his right, and Joe glimpsed what his hand had been covering. He cringed. No wonder Drew was so furious! The words RUDE DRUID! were emblazoned in bold capitals, and an arrow pointed to the caricature. Beneath the title was a signature that closely resembled Joe Hardy's own!
Homeroom was silent that day, for none of the students wished to incur Mr. Drew's wrath. Everyone was exceedingly polite and sober, although some bright, malicious glances were occasionally cast Joe's way. When the bell rang, Joe picked up his books and went up to Mr. Drew's desk.
"Didn't know you had it in you, Hardy!" Ian Matthews, the school bully and a royal pain in Joe's side for many years, cracked in a low voice as he passed Joe on the way out of the room. Joe glared, feeling like punching his grinning face, but knew it wasn't worth the trouble it would bring.
"Mr. Drew…"
"Joe, I'm not going to listen to arguments about how you don't deserve detention."
"It's not that, but I didn't do the-"
"And I've heard every excuse in the book; I'm not changing my mind." Mr. Drew was obviously still too miffed to listen. "You'll take your detention as ordered."
"Yessir," Joe muttered. He set his jaw. "But that was not meant to be a picture of you, and that is not my writing!" he stated quietly. He turned and went to the door, then paused for one more comment. "I have more respect for you than that." Joe said, and left before the teacher could reply.
At lunch, Joe was glum and dispirited. He complained to Frank and their friends about his detention, and the mean trick he'd been the victim of. Biff and Chet grinned a little at the situation, but commiserated; Tony and Phil shook their heads ruefully, and Frank, having been the target of the photograph prank, was totally sympathetic. The girls found the whole thing upsetting, to say the least.
"Then something was taken from my home too, as well as Callie's," Vanessa commented. "That picture was on the desk in my room."
"Mine too," Callie concurred. She shuddered a little, and Frank put a reassuring arm about her.
"Now that you know what sorts of things might be missing, would you girls be willing to go through your stuff again?" he asked.
"Sure." Both of them nodded. "I'll do it as soon as I get home." Callie added.
"Sugar, when's your mom going to be home?" Joe inquired of Vanessa. "I don't want you out at the farm alone."
"Sometime this evening," she admitted.
Joe looked across the table at Frank, a question in his eyes. Frank smiled in reassurance.
"I'll go with her, Joe," he stated quietly. "I'll help her look, and then drop her off at Callie's and swing back to pick you up after detention."
Joe smiled gratefully at his brother, and turned his attention to his lunch.
After school, Joe took his backpack and made his way to the detention room, resigned to his fate. At least I can get my homework done early, he tried to comfort himself. He stepped up to the desk and told the supervising teacher his name, and which instructor had issued the punishment. To his surprise, she said that Mr. Drew had withdrawn the detention, apparently having changed his mind. Joe stared at her in shock, his blue eyes widening, and a relieved grin spreading across his face.
"Great!" he exclaimed, and hurried out the classroom door. When he reached the hallway, however, he skidded to a stop, suddenly realizing that Frank had already departed for Vanessa's, and therefore Joe was without a way home. Great! he said silently again, this time with considerable irony.
Well, might as well fill up the time doing a little sleuthing…. Joe headed down the hall for his homeroom. Perhaps Mr. Drew was still there.
Indeed, the teacher was in his room, apparently grading papers. Joe tapped lightly on the doorframe, and entered.
"Hello, Joe." The man's brown eyes rested on him, not unkindly. "What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to thank you for lifting the detention, first," Joe began. "I really appreciate that. And then…I wondered…could I ask you some questions? I'm trying to find out about how that drawing got in your desk."
"Ask away." Mr. Drew sat back, waiting.
"Do you always keep your roll book in that drawer?" Joe pointed at the drawer.
"Yes, except during grading time." Mr. Drew replied.
"Is the drawer kept locked?"
"No, not usually."
"How about the classroom? Is it locked when you get here in the mornings? Was it this morning?"
"Yes, Joe, it's always locked." Mr. Drew smiled patiently. "This morning as well as every other morning."
Joe went over to the door and inspected the catch and lock minutely. He could see no signs of tampering. He turned back to his teacher.
"Mr. Drew, who has keys to this room?"
"Let's see…I do, and the custodians, and Mr. Dylan…and there's a full set of room keys kept in the office, I believe."
"So a teacher would have an easier time getting into a room, than say, a student?" Joe queried.
"Yes, that's right - but Joe, are you trying to say that a teacher pulled this prank on you?" Drew demanded in disbelief. "That's absurd!"
"But it's a possibility!" Joe insisted. "Well, thanks for being so helpful, Mr. Drew…and thanks again for lifting the detention."
"I hope you find the culprit, Joe." Mr. Drew said, as the younger Hardy left the classroom.
Joe headed for the school office. He needed more information, and he thought he knew how he could get it. When he went in, he was greeted by the smiling school secretary, Dorothy Gamble. Mrs. Gamble had always been one of Joe's favorite people at Bayport High. Tall, with angular features somewhat like his Aunt Gertrude's, she had black hair with ever-increasing gray streaks, which she wore in coronet braids around her head, and friendly blue eyes.
"Mrs. Gamble, I was wondering if I could get a list from you…" Joe commenced his request. "I'd like a list of all the new teachers at Bayport this year." And I am especially interested in teachers that either Frank or I have, he added silently.
"All right, Joe." The secretary looked at a faculty list, and began writing names on a sheet of paper. "Why do you want a list like this?"
"Um - private project." Joe took the list from her. "Thanks," he said, turning about…and beholding a group of teachers standing behind him - including his teachers, and Frank's, as well!
"Whoever broke into Callie's and Vanessa's must go to school here," he muttered. "I wonder what was taken from Van's house; this was what was ripped off from Callie." Although Joe found the actual prank funny, he didn't find the method, i.e., breaking and entering, to be very humorous.
"Yeah, you're right." Frank agreed. He sighed somewhat bitterly. "I hope Callie didn't see it…but she'll hear about it, no question of that." He headed towards the stairs again. "I need to get my Chemistry book for class." he said.
"I've got to go to the library and get some new textbooks." Joe remarked, and headed in the opposite direction. The librarian issued him the new books, only making the comment that he would be billed for the old ones. Joe resented that a bit…he hadn't had anything to do with destroying them, he thought! It didn't seem quite fair that he should have to pay for them! But the only alternative was catching the person who had placed the bomb in his backpack, and he was stymied in that endeavor.
Joe went to his homeroom and settled into his usual seat. As the class bell rang, Mr. Rudy Drew, his teacher, entered the room and sat down at his desk, opening a desk drawer to get out his roll book. The man frowned curiously, for lying on top of the book was a sheet of paper. He picked it up and turned it over, and a scowl crossed his face. Silently, he rose and made his way back to where Joe was sitting, holding the paper in his hand.
"Joe."
Joe looked up into Mr. Drew's forbidding face. About 6' tall, with receding brown hair and sharp brown eyes, his homeroom teacher had an aristocratic-looking face, with its aquiline nose and thin lips. Usually, he looked stern, but approachable…but not now!
"Did you draw this?" Mr. Drew held the paper up for his inspection. Joe looked at it, and felt a pang of guilt. He had drawn it at Vanessa's request; she'd wanted a caricature of Abraham Lincoln. Joe had done his best, but the picture had ended up looking more like his homeroom teacher, with a garish tie and a wig that stood on end!
"Yessir." Joe mumbled, nodding
"Joe, I am extremely displeased and disappointed in you. This was an incredibly impolite action, and you will be punished. Two hours' detention after school today."
"But…!" Joe started to protest. What was Mr. Drew so mad about? It wasn't supposed to be him….
"Quiet!" the teacher snapped. "Another word from you and it's a week's detention, not a day."
Joe snapped his mouth shut and swallowed the hot words. He wasn't about to risk getting a week's detention. But…It's not fair! his mind shouted. The trick played on Frank was funny, but this…this isn't fair!
As Mr. Drew scolded Joe, he switched the paper from his left hand to his right, and Joe glimpsed what his hand had been covering. He cringed. No wonder Drew was so furious! The words RUDE DRUID! were emblazoned in bold capitals, and an arrow pointed to the caricature. Beneath the title was a signature that closely resembled Joe Hardy's own!
Homeroom was silent that day, for none of the students wished to incur Mr. Drew's wrath. Everyone was exceedingly polite and sober, although some bright, malicious glances were occasionally cast Joe's way. When the bell rang, Joe picked up his books and went up to Mr. Drew's desk.
"Didn't know you had it in you, Hardy!" Ian Matthews, the school bully and a royal pain in Joe's side for many years, cracked in a low voice as he passed Joe on the way out of the room. Joe glared, feeling like punching his grinning face, but knew it wasn't worth the trouble it would bring.
"Mr. Drew…"
"Joe, I'm not going to listen to arguments about how you don't deserve detention."
"It's not that, but I didn't do the-"
"And I've heard every excuse in the book; I'm not changing my mind." Mr. Drew was obviously still too miffed to listen. "You'll take your detention as ordered."
"Yessir," Joe muttered. He set his jaw. "But that was not meant to be a picture of you, and that is not my writing!" he stated quietly. He turned and went to the door, then paused for one more comment. "I have more respect for you than that." Joe said, and left before the teacher could reply.
At lunch, Joe was glum and dispirited. He complained to Frank and their friends about his detention, and the mean trick he'd been the victim of. Biff and Chet grinned a little at the situation, but commiserated; Tony and Phil shook their heads ruefully, and Frank, having been the target of the photograph prank, was totally sympathetic. The girls found the whole thing upsetting, to say the least.
"Then something was taken from my home too, as well as Callie's," Vanessa commented. "That picture was on the desk in my room."
"Mine too," Callie concurred. She shuddered a little, and Frank put a reassuring arm about her.
"Now that you know what sorts of things might be missing, would you girls be willing to go through your stuff again?" he asked.
"Sure." Both of them nodded. "I'll do it as soon as I get home." Callie added.
"Sugar, when's your mom going to be home?" Joe inquired of Vanessa. "I don't want you out at the farm alone."
"Sometime this evening," she admitted.
Joe looked across the table at Frank, a question in his eyes. Frank smiled in reassurance.
"I'll go with her, Joe," he stated quietly. "I'll help her look, and then drop her off at Callie's and swing back to pick you up after detention."
Joe smiled gratefully at his brother, and turned his attention to his lunch.
After school, Joe took his backpack and made his way to the detention room, resigned to his fate. At least I can get my homework done early, he tried to comfort himself. He stepped up to the desk and told the supervising teacher his name, and which instructor had issued the punishment. To his surprise, she said that Mr. Drew had withdrawn the detention, apparently having changed his mind. Joe stared at her in shock, his blue eyes widening, and a relieved grin spreading across his face.
"Great!" he exclaimed, and hurried out the classroom door. When he reached the hallway, however, he skidded to a stop, suddenly realizing that Frank had already departed for Vanessa's, and therefore Joe was without a way home. Great! he said silently again, this time with considerable irony.
Well, might as well fill up the time doing a little sleuthing…. Joe headed down the hall for his homeroom. Perhaps Mr. Drew was still there.
Indeed, the teacher was in his room, apparently grading papers. Joe tapped lightly on the doorframe, and entered.
"Hello, Joe." The man's brown eyes rested on him, not unkindly. "What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to thank you for lifting the detention, first," Joe began. "I really appreciate that. And then…I wondered…could I ask you some questions? I'm trying to find out about how that drawing got in your desk."
"Ask away." Mr. Drew sat back, waiting.
"Do you always keep your roll book in that drawer?" Joe pointed at the drawer.
"Yes, except during grading time." Mr. Drew replied.
"Is the drawer kept locked?"
"No, not usually."
"How about the classroom? Is it locked when you get here in the mornings? Was it this morning?"
"Yes, Joe, it's always locked." Mr. Drew smiled patiently. "This morning as well as every other morning."
Joe went over to the door and inspected the catch and lock minutely. He could see no signs of tampering. He turned back to his teacher.
"Mr. Drew, who has keys to this room?"
"Let's see…I do, and the custodians, and Mr. Dylan…and there's a full set of room keys kept in the office, I believe."
"So a teacher would have an easier time getting into a room, than say, a student?" Joe queried.
"Yes, that's right - but Joe, are you trying to say that a teacher pulled this prank on you?" Drew demanded in disbelief. "That's absurd!"
"But it's a possibility!" Joe insisted. "Well, thanks for being so helpful, Mr. Drew…and thanks again for lifting the detention."
"I hope you find the culprit, Joe." Mr. Drew said, as the younger Hardy left the classroom.
Joe headed for the school office. He needed more information, and he thought he knew how he could get it. When he went in, he was greeted by the smiling school secretary, Dorothy Gamble. Mrs. Gamble had always been one of Joe's favorite people at Bayport High. Tall, with angular features somewhat like his Aunt Gertrude's, she had black hair with ever-increasing gray streaks, which she wore in coronet braids around her head, and friendly blue eyes.
"Mrs. Gamble, I was wondering if I could get a list from you…" Joe commenced his request. "I'd like a list of all the new teachers at Bayport this year." And I am especially interested in teachers that either Frank or I have, he added silently.
"All right, Joe." The secretary looked at a faculty list, and began writing names on a sheet of paper. "Why do you want a list like this?"
"Um - private project." Joe took the list from her. "Thanks," he said, turning about…and beholding a group of teachers standing behind him - including his teachers, and Frank's, as well!