With strange feelings in their hearts Dick, Sam and Stanley, accompanied by Songbird, left the office. They had been heard, but had not been believed.
"We may be dismissed from here, after all," said Sam bitterly.
"What a shame!" cried Songbird. "Oh, if you could only find out who did it, and expose them!"
The boys went back to their classes with heavy hearts. They saw a number of the other students looking at them questioningly.
Jerry Koswell saw them return, and was much astonished. Had his plot to put them in disgrace miscarried, after all? Larkspur, too, was perplexed. Flockley was a bit relieved, and half hoped the whole matter would blow over and nothing more be heard of it.
The day went by, and the other lads did not see Tom. But they saw him in the evening, just before supper.
"Well, how did you make out?" asked Dick eagerly.
"Got a vacation," was Tom's laconic answer.
"Dismissed?" asked the others in concert.
"No, suspended until Doctor Wallington can investigate the whole matter more thoroughly. He wanted me to apologize to Sharp, and I said flatly that I wouldn't do it, because I hadn't anything to apologize for. He got mad at first, and threatened me with instant dismissal. Then I warmed up, and said I was innocent of all wrongdoing, and perhaps I'd be able to prove it some day, and if so, and I was dismissed, I'd sue the college for loss of reputation. That brought matters to a head, and I guess the doctor saw I was in deadly earnest. He told me I could consider myself suspended for two weeks, or until he could get to the bottom of the affair. So I've got a holiday."