"Ah----"
At Catherwood's exclamation he looked up quickly.
"That's why I could not identify it," the young man added.
"But, Mr. Catherwood," the assistant professor continued, "isn't it
rather odd that you did not see--did not recognize the two men who
assailed you; for of course there were two--the note reads----"
He looked down at the crumpled sheet again--"'We shall call at your room
this evening.' Isn't it rather strange?" He awaited Catherwood's reply,
calmly.
"I think there was but one!"
The assistant professor started.
"_One!_" he exclaimed. "Why it is more mysterious than ever--and you
didn't see him, Mr. Catherwood?"
"No, sir, I did not."
"You did not?"
"No, sir...."
"Well, _I_ declare," ejaculated Mrs. Turner.
Mr. Lowe smoothed over the note and folded it. "I shall take this," he
said--"that is, if you do not mind."
"No--no--of course not----"
"And, Mr. Catherwood," he added, "I am to assume, am I, that you can
throw no light on this--on this most mysterious matter...?"
At that instant a knock fell on the door.
"Come in," Catherwood called.
The door was pushed back and a young man with a note-book in his hand
stood on the threshold.
"I'm Green," he explained. "I'm on the _'Varsity News_. You're
Catherwood, aren't you? Yes; well, we got wind of the case. Fellow heard
your landlady yell and telephoned us. What does it amount to----?"
The assistant professor, squaring his shoulders, assumed the privilege
of answering the breezy youth.
"Perhaps," he said, "it might be as well not to go into details just
now. Mr. Catherwood was assaulted in his room last night and was found
gagged and tied in his bed not an hour ago. It is a case for official
investigation. Mr. Catherwood was made, much against his will,
naturally, to miss an important examination this morning--I may say a
very important examination. There is a meeting of the faculty to be held
to-night when I shall present the facts of this most shocking affair as
I have gathered them and I am confident that an official investigation
will follow. You may say as much...."
The reporter had been busy with his note-book.
Now looking up at Catherwood, he asked: "What's the matter with his
face?"
"I believe it is iodine," the assistant professor replied, frigidly.
Little Green grinned.
"You're a sure beaut," he exclaimed.
"I think that will be all," observed the assistant professor drily.
"Oh yes, yes--that's all--thank you very much; good-morning." And the
journalist vanished.
The eyes of Catherwood and the assistant professor met.
"I think I should wash my face, if I were you," suggested Mr. Lowe.
"You may be able to remove some of the stain."
Catherwood went to the stand in the corner of the room. For a space he
sputtered the water in the bowl. "Any better?" he asked, at length.
Mr. Lowe shook his head sadly.
"No--it won't come off. You had best see a doctor."
He rose.
"Now, Mr. Catherwood," he said, "as I have said, this is a case for the
most thorough investigation. You need not give yourself any uneasiness.
The University authorities will, you may be sure, sift matters to the
bottom. You have been maltreated; abused, tortured, and, I may say,
disfigured."
Catherwood, with a sigh, sank into the Morris chair by the window.
"I shall take the matter up this evening at faculty meeting. Mark my
word, we shall discover your assailant or assailants at once; for
despite your belief to the contrary, it is my opinion that two men, if,
indeed, not more, had a hand in your undoing. We shall see. I shall talk
of the case to several this afternoon and I suppose you would have no
hesitancy in appearing at the meeting to-night, if your presence there
should be deemed desirable."
"No," Catherwood replied, weakly, "not if they want me." The hand he
passed across his brow trembled.
"I observe you are nervous," the assistant professor said. "Get a little
rest this afternoon." He shook his head slowly. "It is very
unfortunate," he added, "that the president is away; however, I am
confident we shall have the case cleared up before his return. You, of
course, Mr. Catherwood, have no reason not to assist us in every way
possible?"
"None at all." The young man leaned back and closed his eyes, and sighed
deeply.
"However, I must say, you have not seemed to me as interested as----"
Catherwood sat upright.
"I'm half sick," he cried, "half sick. It's so strange. I know no one
who would have a reason for hazing me; I can't understand it; it's like
a bad dream."
He rose and paced back and forth the length of the room.
"Ah, yes, to be sure," the assistant professor murmured, consolingly.
"Now, I shall go. You will hear from me later--perhaps very soon."
Catherwood stood motionless in the middle of the floor until he heard
the outer door close, then he descended the stairs slowly, and
encountering Mrs. Turner in the kitchen begged the privilege of taking
dinner at her table.
"This face," he explained. "I can't go to 'Pret's' with this face."
And she, gentle motherly soul, bade him be seated, and fed him well, and
consoled him; while Willie, fascinated by the streaked and horrid face
of the self-bidden guest, allowed his rice-pudding to grow cold while he
gazed at him.