"Young gentlemen," began the head of the School gently, "I must ask you to be calm."
"But, Doctor," said Tom respectfully, "I must deny the charge that has been brought against me. I never had the most remote connection with setting the hay stacks afire, nor in poisoning the horses. I cannot make my denial too strong."
"No one has accused you of either crime, my dear boy," said the doctor.
"You are a bit too hasty, I fear."
"But h.e.l.ler has seen fit to say that he suspects me," went on Tom, looking his enemy full in the face.
"No," said Sam, and he could not conceal the triumph in his voice. "I did not say that. What I did say, and what I repeat was, that on the night the horses were poisoned I saw Tom Fairfield leave the dormitory, wearing a sweater like mine, and later I saw him near the lane leading to Mr. Appleby"s farm. That"s all I care to say."
"And what do you answer to that, Fairfield?" asked the doctor gravely.
"Were you or were you not there?"
"I do not see how that affects the matter at all," said Tom, trying to speak calmly. "I, or anyone, might have been in the vicinity of the farm without having had a hand in the poisoning of the horses."
"That is true, but will you answer the question. Were you there?"
"I was not, sir," exclaimed Tom, steadily. There was a breath of relief from Jack and Bert.
"I saw him!" insisted Sam doggedly.
"Are you sure?" asked Doctor Meredith. "Remember this is a serious matter, h.e.l.ler."
"I am sure, Doctor."
"Perhaps Fairfield can throw more light on the subject," went on the puzzled head master. "Is there any way you can account for h.e.l.ler"s seeming identification? Could anyone else have worn your sweater?" and he looked at Tom.
Once more there was a silence. Tom seemed strangely affected. He took a long breath, and then stammered:
"I--I do not care to state, Doctor Meredith."
"You mean that someone else had your sweater?"
"I prefer not to answer."
"You realize what that means?"
"Yes, I suppose so. It means that I will be suspected of having done these things."
"I am afraid so, yes, Tom, my boy," and the doctor, dropping his more formal tone, addressed Tom almost as if he were his own son. "Not that I believe you guilty," he added. "Far be it from me to suspect one of my students when he has a.s.sured me that he is innocent. I have never yet known an Elmwood Hall lad to tell an untruth!" and the doctor drew himself up proudly.
"Therefore, I believe you, Tom," he went on, "but I am in duty bound to point out to you that many will believe you had a hand in this unless--unless you can account for your sweater being worn by someone else, on the night in question, near the farm. Can you?"
Once more a silence. Then Tom said:
"I prefer to say nothing, Doctor."
"Very well. Then this painful scene had best end. I request you all to keep silence on this matter. I will see Mr. Appleby, and explain that all of my students deny having had a hand in this occurence. That should be sufficient for him."
The doctor paused a moment, and then, holding out the gaudily-colored sweater, asked:
"Do you wish to claim this, Tom?"
"Yes, sir, it is mine," and with a steady step Tom walked forward to get the garment. As he went down the aisle toward the rostrum there were one or two faint hisses, that seemed to come from the section where Sam h.e.l.ler and his cronies sat.
"Silence!" cried Doctor Meredith, in a ringing voice.
The noise subsided. Tom took his garment, and turned back to his seat.
As he pa.s.sed Sam he looked him full in the face, and there was that in the glance which boded no good to that sneaking coward when the tables should be turned.
Had it not been in chapel, and had Tom not held himself well in hand, there might have been a session then and there that Sam h.e.l.ler would not have liked. His gaze quailed before the steady look of Tom, and as the latter sat down he heard Nick Johnson whisper to Sam:
"Are you sure of what you saw, old man? He might make trouble for you."
"Of course I"m sure. I saw him as plainly as I see you now. He can"t bluff out of it. I"ve got him just where I want him!"
"You think so, do you," murmured Tom to himself. "Well, we"ll see, Sam h.e.l.ler! I"ve got pluck enough to stand out against you, I think. You can"t drive me from Elmwood Hall."
"Young gentlemen, you are dismissed," said the voice of Doctor Meredith, and the students filed from chapel to their various cla.s.srooms.
Jack and Bert made a rush for their chum as soon as they were outside the building. Each grabbed an arm, while several of Tom"s other friends grouped about him. But it was noticed that some, with whom he had been quite intimate, held aloof, and hurried away. Tom was, but he only smiled.
Another group surrounded Sam h.e.l.ler, some of whom had never troubled to make his acquaintance before. But they were either curious to hear more of that of which he had spoken, or else were ready to enlist under his banner, as it were.
"By Jove this is bad!" half groaned Bruce Bennington, as he noticed the school split, in the ranks of Soph.o.m.ores, more especially. "There"ll be two factions among the second-year men now if something isn"t done to head it off."
"That"s right," agreed Reddy Burke. "Confound Tom"s stubbornness, anyhow! Why doesn"t he say if it was someone else who wore his thunder-and-lightning sweater?"
"Did someone?" asked Bruce, significantly.
"Of course he must have, and Tom is shielding him, I"ll wager. You don"t s"pose he poisoned those horses; do you?"
"Well--er--Oh, of course not!"
"Then forget it. Things"ll come out right sooner or later."
"Later, I"m afraid. And look at the damage that will be done in the meanwhile."
"Well, it can"t be helped," and Bruce and Reddy strolled away, not altogether happy.
"Tom, old man!" exclaimed Jack, slipping his arm about his chum, "what"s got into you, anyhow?"
"Nothing, Jack."
"Then why don"t you come back at h.e.l.ler and make him out the prevaricator he is?"
Tom did not answer.
"Aren"t you going to say anything?" demanded Jack. "Are you going to keep quiet about that sweater?"