"What's he up to now?" asked Bert of Jack, as the two stood in the room, looking at one another.
"Give up. We'll have to wait and see. It's something important though, to judge by Tom's actions."
"Yes, but an empty bottle! What can he hope to do with that for a clew?"
"I don't know. Leave it to Tom."
The latter came back in a little while, carrying several bottles, test tubes and an alcohol lamp.
"Well, for the class's sake!" cried Jack. "Are you going to give us a demonstration of the action of liquids on solids?"
"No, I'm going to prove that mind is superior to matter," laughed Tom.
"Say, it sounds good to hear that!" cried Jack. "You haven't laughed before in two weeks."
"Well, I feel a bit like it now," said Tom. "I'm beginning to get a glimpse of daylight in this darkness."
He arranged his material on the table in front of him, having removed the books and papers. Then, taking a bottle of some colorless liquid which he had brought from the college laboratory, he poured some into the apparently empty bottle he had first exhibited.