“What is going on?” the Doctor demanded breathlessly. She held up the empty vial which had been on the secretary’s desk. “Whom does this belong to?”
“Gale——” Valerie said in mystification.
“It is all right now,” Gale said, “Miss Horton almost poisoned the Dean. I followed her here from the Chemistry laboratory.”
“Yes, I meant to poison her,” Miss Horton said desperately, hysterically. “If it hadn’t been for her my sister would be Dean of Briarhurst. She worked years to have the position, she studied in Europe, everything to fit herself for this. Then you came along,” the girl said to Dean Travis, “and were appointed. It nearly broke my sister’s heart.”
“You thought if you could get rid of me your sister would still have a chance,” Dean Travis said slowly. “Is that it?”
“Yes. Now I’ve failed. You might as well know, I took the money from your safe, too. I meant to put it back—but I couldn’t right away. Now you will probably send me to prison.”
The Dean smiled in sympathetic understanding. “No, but if you return the money, pack your things and leave tonight, we will forget the whole incident.”
“Now,” Valerie pounced upon Gale when they were outside. “Tell me what happened? It was all a mystery to me yet you seemed to know all about things.”
“Simple,” Gale grinned. “Miss Horton’s sister wanted to be Dean at the same time as Dean Travis. You know who won. Miss Horton evidently sought revenge for her sister. She was doing these things to frighten Dean Travis into leaving. Once she left, Miss Horton’s sister stood a good chance of being appointed in her place.”
“But Dean Travis didn’t scare so easily, is that it?” Valerie asked.