CHAPTER XIVTHE PENALTY
No sooner were we outside than Ray turned to me and laid his hand on my shoulder.
“Forgive me, Harry, for doubting you a single moment,” he said.
“Certainly,” I answered; “I don’t wonder at your doubts, for appearances were dead against me.”
“What was I to think?” he continued. “The only evidence for summoning me was the match box which I had given you. Then when Dr. Drayton spoke about information obtained from you, what could I——”
“Oh, don’t mention it again,” I broke in. “It disturbed me enough at the time to think that you suspected me of such meanness. It is all right now, so let it go.”
“I owe you a thousand apologies,” he said.
“Well, I’ll give you a receipted bill of them, and call it square,” I answered, laughing. “The question that agitates me most just at this moment, is what are the ‘potent, grave, and reverend signiors’ inside there going to do with us.”
“I give it up,” answered Ray. “It is unfortunateall around. Here we are, the least offending in the lot, hauled up to be made examples of, while scapegraces like Percy Randall go at large, as if they were spotless innocents. I could wring his neck for getting us into this fix.”
“The faculty seem to be disposed to favor us somewhat,” I said, as I recalled Dr. Drayton’s words.
Ray shook his head.
“We can’t get much encouragement, I fear, from that. It only means that we won’t be expelled for good, as we would have been, undoubtedly, if we had been ringleaders.”
It was with anxious hearts that we awaited the hour to go to Dr. Drayton’s house. I did not go to dinner. I had no appetite, and I did not care to face a club of noisy companions in my present mood. About a quarter of eight o’clock Ray came to my room, where I was pacing the floor impatiently, and we went over to the president’s residence.
We were ushered into his study, where presently Dr. Drayton joined us. Inviting us to be seated, in his usual grave manner, he took his place at his desk, which was situated in the middle of the room, and began forthwith:
“Young gentlemen, I may as well say at once that I sincerely regret your connection with this unfortunate affair. You are both young men of high standing and good reputation in your separate classes, and I am very sorry that anything should injure your record. It seems quite evident to us that you werenot ringleaders in the disorderly and mischievous behavior of last night, and that you carried yourselves as well as could be expected under the circumstances. But you were concerned in these disgraceful doings; you deliberately joined a party bent on taking the law into its own hands and setting our authority at naught, and you must therefore stand the consequences.”
Here Dr. Drayton paused a moment, while we watched him in breathless suspense.
“As I told you this afternoon,” he continued, “we had already taken steps for the recovery of the cannons, and we were the proper ones to conduct the affair. We were intensely annoyed at hearing of your hasty behavior, for you have placed Belmont College partially in the wrong by acting so forcibly. It was hasty, injudicious, and disorderly, and even if you had not aggravated it by a wanton spirit of mischievousness, it would have been our duty to make an example of you for taking authority into your own hands. The faculty have given your case a full and just consideration, and have come to the decision that it will be necessary for us to suspend both of you from college for a period of five weeks.”
Dr. Drayton paused again. His words had fallen upon our attentive ears like a thunder clap. We dared not look at each other. Each was busy with his own thoughts.
Five weeks’ suspension! Why, what would become of us? There were only nine weeks in the last term of the year, and the ninth week was occupied in thefinal examinations. For Ray Wendell the affair was likely to prove far more serious than for me. He was in the Senior class, and therefore had his final examinations two weeks earlier than I would. I glanced at him quickly. His face was quiet but pale, and I knew how he must be suffering, to see the fondest hopes of his college life being swept away.
Dr. Drayton, who had been watching us closely, began again:
“Young men, I can appreciate your thoughts at this moment, and you are right in your estimate of the serious results of this penalty upon your studies. In your case particularly, Mr. Wendell, this suspension would be almost fatal to your success in final examinations. I speak, therefore, in behalf of the faculty in offering you some remittance of this sentence.”
We both looked up eagerly.
“Upon a certain condition,” he added. “We saw clearly that this punishment would interfere seriously with the college work of both of you, and we were glad, therefore, to consider the favorable circumstances in your case, and to make every allowance possible on account of your evident disposition to conduct yourselves in an orderly manner last evening. Upon a certain condition, therefore, we offer to remit a large part of your punishment.”
We still gazed at him, anxiously expectant.
“You are both baseball players, and are devoting a great deal of time to the game,” he said, looking from one to the other.
We acquiesced silently.
“And you, I believe, Mr. Wendell, have accepted the position of captain of the nine for this year.”
“Yes, sir,” answered Ray.
“Do you remember our conversation last spring, Mr. Wendell? I warned you that baseball was taking too much of your time. I found that you were neglecting certain branches of study on account of the game, and that it was interfering with your progress. Did you forget that warning?”
“No, Dr. Drayton. I accepted your suggestions, and, at first determined to give up baseball this year; but my college mates begged me not to go back on them, and upon thinking it over I made up my mind that I could, by being careful, keep up baseball, and lose nothing by it in my studies.”
“It is a mistaken idea altogether, sir,” exclaimed Dr. Drayton with some show of impatience. “You made an experiment of it last year, and what was the result? You dropped five places in your class during the baseball season. You, Mr. Elder, dropped ten. I say it is useless to attempt it, and I am sorry to see so promising young men throwing away opportunities and wasting time on a mere game.”
“But, Dr. Drayton,” said Ray, “I can’t help thinking that baseball does us as much good in one way as our studies do in another.”
“All exercise is good—in moderation,” answered Dr. Drayton sharply, “but when a game interferes with your class work, then it is time to stop. Thematter was well gone over in our interview last year, and I am sorry, Mr. Wendell, that my warning was so little heeded. It comes now, however, to a choice. The faculty is willing to make your penalty in this case merely a nominal suspension of two weeks, upon condition that you young men consent to give up baseball.”
There was a dead silence for several moments. At length Dr. Drayton said,
“Well, young gentlemen, what is your choice?”
Ray rose.
“Why should we be put to the necessity of a choice, Dr. Drayton? If I am careful, I see no reason why baseball should conflict with my class work.”
“We are no longer to discuss the matter, Mr. Wendell. You know my views well enough, and it would be useless to repeat them. The question is merely which of these will you choose. I am sure good sense will relieve both of you of any hesitation in the matter.”
“But I have promised my fellow students to play ball. The nine has already begun work. It would break up all our plans,” exclaimed Ray.
“I cannot see the importance of your baseball plans,” said the president coldly.
“I feel in honor bound to my college mates. I cannot desert them,” answered Ray desperately.
“Dr. Drayton,” said I, “the season has so far advanced that it would not be fair to the rest for us to back out now.”
“Then what am I to understand is your answer?” asked Dr. Drayton, looking fixedly at us.
Ray turned to me. It was evident that we were of the same mind. Ray’s thoughts no doubt dwelt longingly a moment on the commencement honors he had hoped to win, but his face showed no struggle, no hesitation. Dr. Drayton’s effort to force him into renouncing baseball had aroused all his latent pride and sense of honor. He felt, as I did, that the condition was unfair, and based upon a wrong assumption—namely, that baseball and studies could not be conducted together without a loss to the latter. Turning to the president, Ray spoke for both of us.
“If this is the condition, Dr. Drayton, then we must choose the five weeks’ suspension,” he said quietly.
Dr. Drayton wheeled sharply around in his chair and took up some papers that lay on his desk. From the way his hands trembled I could see that he was very angry.
I started to speak.
“You have said quite enough, young gentlemen,” he said in a constrained voice. “If this is your decision, I must own that I am deeply disappointed at your choice, which does you very little credit. Please make arrangements to leave college to-morrow. Mr. Dikes will notify your parents of your suspension.”
“Dr. Drayton, is therenoalternative?” asked Ray almost imploringly, his voice nearly breaking under the pressure of his pent up feelings.
“Therewasan alternative, sir, but you have rejected it. Nothing now remains but the penalty which the faculty have imposed. You would have shown more wisdom had you accepted that alternative.”
“Oh, no, sir; we cannot accept,” exclaimed Ray in despair.
“Then good day, sir,” said Dr. Drayton, without relaxing a muscle.
Recognizing the hopelessness of further words, we turned and went out. As we walked down the long gravel walk, Ray said slowly, as if talking to himself.
“It was a terribly high price to pay for a season of baseball. I hope the boys will appreciate that if we don’t win the Crimson Banner.”
“I can’t realize it yet,” I rejoined. “It seems too terrible. Just think of it! Five weeks from the college! We will have to live somewhere in town, and go to the baseball grounds by a roundabout way, for if we are caught on the campus during our suspension we will be expelled——”
“Little difference it would make to me,” said Ray bitterly. “I might just as well have been expelled for all the chance it leaves me.”
“There, old fellow, don’t take it hard,” I exclaimed, detecting in his voice the symptoms of breaking down. “I know it puts you in a terrible fix, but, somehow, it seems as if somethingmusthappen. I can’t make up my mind that it is true. There must be some way out of the hole.”
Ray shook his head sadly.
“I see none. We have refused the only chance offered us.”
“No, no,” I exclaimed eagerly, after a moment’s thought; “there is a chance left.”
“Where?” exclaimed Ray, looking at me eagerly.
“Professor Fuller,” I answered.
Ray was silent for a few seconds. Then his face brightened a little.
“Good!” he said. “You are right. There is a chance in him. We will go to see Professor Fuller to-morrow.”