“Ah, then we have to thank you for discovering the fire and giving the alarm,” went on the proctor. “It was——”
“We all discovered the blaze at the same time,” remarked Tom, desperately, and he indicated his companions.
“That’s right,” agreed Sid and Phil. They made up their minds that they were in for it now.
“Oh, you saw it from your window, I presume,” went on Mr. Zane, “and you came out——”
Then, for the first time, he seemed to realize that the quartette were attired in dress-suits—wet, bedraggled, chemical-marked and scorched evening clothes—but still dress-suits.
“Oh, ah, er—that is——” he began.
“We were coming home from a dance over at Fairview,” said Phil, doggedly, “and we saw the blaze.”
“Oh,” exclaimed the proctor, illuminatingly, and then, unconsciously perhaps, he looked at his watch, and noted the lateness of the hour. “You four young gentlemen will call at my office to-morrow—this morning,” he hastily corrected himself.
“Yes, sir,” answered Tom, with a grim setting of his jaw.
An examination showed that there were no sparks left, and the students were ordered to return to their rooms. The janitors were sent for, to remain on guard and place boards over the hole in the floor.