TOM'S SILENCE
There were subdued murmurings from every student in the chapel. Never,
in the history of Elmwood Hall, had there been such an occurrence. An
implied charge against one of the school lads--a serious charge; the
denial on the part of one to whom suspicion might point, and the retort
direct from another. It was unheard of.
Silence followed Tom's dramatic announcement. He remained on his feet,
looking at Sam Heller, who also stood, and then the gaze of our hero
wandered to the troubled, but still serene, countenance of Doctor
Meredith.
"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 Heller 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, Heller."
"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 Heller'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 assured 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 Heller 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 passed 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 Heller 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
Heller! 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
classrooms.
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 Heller, 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 Sophomores, 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 Heller 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?"
"I am afraid I'll have to," said Tom quietly, as he turned aside. "But
if you fellows think------"
"Say, if you intimate such a thing as that we believe you guilty I'll
punch your face!" cried Jack, with a laugh, in which there was no
mirth. "Won't we, Bert?"
"We sure will! Now come on to Latin class;" and with their arms still
about their chum, showing their loyalty to him in his time of trouble,
the boys passed on across the campus, followed by many eyes.