“How near?” the Shark demanded.
The Trojan shook his head. “I can’t tell you that. Confound it! you fellows seem to forget that I was trying to pass a Latin paper and not mapping the room. I remember Hagle was somewhere around, and Zorn was not very far off. Yes, and Sam was a couple of rows in front of me. But that is all I can recall of what didn’t impress me especially at the time.”
“Umph!” said the Shark, and made no further inquiry.
Here the big gong clanged, and the pupils streamed back into the schoolhouse, the Safety First Club members going with the others. Sam felt a certain relief as he saw the Trojan taking his place in line: he had had disquieting doubts about the course Walker might follow. A fellow smarting under a sense of injustice—Sam’s confidence in the Trojan’s honesty was unshaken—might do something in haste which would lead to deep repentance at leisure. But the Trojan went back to the classroom, and joined in the recitation almost in his usual manner. As it happened, the Latin hour had passed, so that the partial suspension did not interfere with the work he had to do after recess.
Being far from blind, and, in fact, being especially keenly observant that day, Sam gathered more evidence of the spread of the story of the Trojan’s trouble and his own share in bringing it about. Now and then he met glances which were frankly unfriendly: when the divisions changed rooms between periods he made note that some of the girls, passing him in the corridors, took pains to keep as far from him as possible. It was not a pleasant experience for the boy; but for the present, at least, there was nothing he could do but grit his teeth and keep his temper.
Sam’s lessons in self-discipline stood him in good stead. They helped him study his problem, while he resisted temptation to rage against his fate.
Ed Zorn must have been extremely busy in circulating his version of what had occurred in the hall.
That was, to Sam’s mind, a big, outstanding fact. Only Zorn had been near enough to overhear his testimony. The principal and the sub-master would not have spread the story; therefore, Zorn’s responsibility was hardly matter for argument.
Why, though, should he have displayed such zeal in making the affair public property?
Sam shook his head over this question. Zorn was no friend of the Safety First Club; but something more than mere lack of liking was needed fully to explain his conduct. It was still a puzzle to Sam, when the session came to an end, and school was dismissed for the day.