Here Dr. Drayton paused a moment, while we watched him in breathless suspense.
“As I told you this afternoon,” he continued, “we had already taken steps for the recovery of the cannons, and we were the proper ones to conduct the affair. We were intensely annoyed at hearing of your hasty behavior, for you have placed Belmont College partially in the wrong by acting so forcibly. It was hasty, injudicious, and disorderly, and even if you had not aggravated it by a wanton spirit of mischievousness, it would have been our duty to make an example of you for taking authority into your own hands. The faculty have given your case a full and just consideration, and have come to the decision that it will be necessary for us to suspend both of you from college for a period of five weeks.”
Dr. Drayton paused again. His words had fallen upon our attentive ears like a thunder clap. We dared not look at each other. Each was busy with his own thoughts.
Five weeks’ suspension! Why, what would become of us? There were only nine weeks in the last term of the year, and the ninth week was occupied in the final examinations. For Ray Wendell the affair was likely to prove far more serious than for me. He was in the Senior class, and therefore had his final examinations two weeks earlier than I would. I glanced at him quickly. His face was quiet but pale, and I knew how he must be suffering, to see the fondest hopes of his college life being swept away.
Dr. Drayton, who had been watching us closely, began again:
“Young men, I can appreciate your thoughts at this moment, and you are right in your estimate of the serious results of this penalty upon your studies. In your case particularly, Mr. Wendell, this suspension would be almost fatal to your success in final examinations. I speak, therefore, in behalf of the faculty in offering you some remittance of this sentence.”
We both looked up eagerly.
“Upon a certain condition,” he added. “We saw clearly that this punishment would interfere seriously with the college work of both of you, and we were glad, therefore, to consider the favorable circumstances in your case, and to make every allowance possible on account of your evident disposition to conduct yourselves in an orderly manner last evening. Upon a certain condition, therefore, we offer to remit a large part of your punishment.”
We still gazed at him, anxiously expectant.
“You are both baseball players, and are devoting a great deal of time to the game,” he said, looking from one to the other.