“No fear of that,” answered Ray, laughing, and clasping both his father’s hands affectionately. “Mrs. Brown is accustomed to surprises: she has kept a student’s club for twenty years, and you couldn’t startle her now if you dropped a dynamite cartridge in front of her. She would simply raise her glasses and say, ‘Well, what is it?’——But the surprise is mostly mine this time. What brought you on here?”
“My son’s disgrace,” said Mr. Wendell, with mock earnestness.
“Oh, you mean our suspension,” answered Ray quietly. “Well, then, I have good news for you. Read this,” and Ray picked up the letter.
Mr. Wendell, who had shaken hands warmly with Tony and myself, now took a chair, and, putting on his glasses ran his eyes over the contents of the note.
“When did you receive this?” he asked.
“About twenty minutes ago,” answered Ray.
“Then I have known all about the matter for about two hours longer than you,” said Mr. Wendell.
“How is that?” asked Ray, in surprise.
“I have been having an interview with Dr. Drayton,” said Mr. Wendell.