“How?” demanded Frank.
“You mean——” began Phil.
“I mean Shambler, and I don’t care who knows it,” went on Sid, raising his voice. “He’s a cad—and he’ll never be anything else. He and Tom were on the outs from the first, partly over Miss Tyler, and for other reasons.
“Then came the charge against Shambler, and, though Tom had nothing to do with that, Shambler has probably heard that Tom has taken his place for the mile run. He hates Randall, and he wants to see her lose after what happened to him, and, he wants to make Tom, by slumping, bring it about. That’s why he tried to ‘dope’ him. Oh, if I had Shambler here!” and Sid clenched his fists with fierce energy.
“Do you really think Shambler did it?” asked Frank.
“I’m sure of it!” declared Sid. “He is the only one who would have an object.”
“What about Exter—or some of our enemies from Boxer Hall—or even Fairview?” asked Phil. “You know the bottle came from Fairview.”
“It might have come from there, but no one from Fairview Institute sent it,” declared Sid confidently. “I’m going to look into this.”
“But we ought to keep it quiet,” suggested Frank. “I don’t see that any good can come of raising a row about it.”