CHAPTER XXVII
ON PROBATION
Joe did not get to chapel that morning. He was all ready to go with Tomand the others after making a hasty toilet, when a messenger came to thedoor.
"Dr. Fillmore wants to see you in his office, Joe," said the messenger--anice lad who did this work to help pay for his tuition.
"Wants to see me--what for?" demanded our hero. "Are you sure that'sright, Georgie?"
"Sure, and a teacher's there with him. I'm not sure but I think it'ssomething about the overthrown statue. I heard them mention it as theycalled me to go for you."
"The overturned statue? I don't know anything about it!" exclaimed Joe."I only just this moment saw it--from my window."
"Well, the doctor wants you, anyhow," repeated the messenger lad. "You'dbetter go."
"Oh, sure," assented Joe, and he started for the doctor's study withwonder in his heart and a puzzled and rather an ominous look on hisface. His companions regarded him seriously.
"What do you s'pose is in the wind?" asked Peaches.
"Give it up," remarked Teeter. "Are _you_ on, Tom?"
"Nary a bit. First I knew of it was when you fellows came and told me."
"Was Joe out last night?" asked Peaches.
"That's so, he did go into town," replied Tom. "He left a note to tellme--but that was all straight--he had permission. It can't be that."
"Well, we'll hear in chapel," said Teeter.
"Ah, it's you is it, Matson?" asked the doctor, as our hero entered thestudy. There was a curious note in the master's voice, and he glancednarrowly at Joe. "Come in. I am sorry to have to summon you on such anunpleasant and important matter, but I have no choice. As you probablyknow, the Founder's Statue was overturned last night."
He looked questioningly at Joe.
"I just saw it from my window," was the simple answer.
"It was done last night," went on the doctor with a look at a teacherwho acted as proctor. "It was a disgraceful, vile piece of vandalism.The guilty one will be severely punished. Doubtless you are wonderingwhy we sent for you. It was on account of this, which was picked up byone of the janitors in front of the statue, when he discovered itsfallen position this morning."
Dr. Fillmore held out to Joe the telegram our hero had received from hisfather the night previous!
"Is this yours?" asked the doctor.
"Ye--yes, it came to me last night. It's from my father."
"What did you do after you got it?"
"Put it in my pocket and went out to answer it. I had permission fromthe proctor."
"That is right," assented that official. "But I did not see you comein."
"No, I was late. The telegraph office was not open, and I had to rousethe operator."
"When did you last see this telegram?" asked the doctor.
"I missed it soon after I started, but I concluded that I had droppedit," said Joe. Then it all came to him. The school authorities believedthat the telegram had dropped out of his pocket when he was at the workof overturning the statue, in which vandalism he had no hand.
"It was picked up near where the vile work went on," said the doctorbitterly. "It is evidence that even if you had no actual hand in thedastardly horseplay, that you might have witnessed it, and you can tellus who did it. That is what we now call on you to do, Matson. Tell uswho did it."
"But I don't know!" cried poor Joe. "I didn't see anything of it. I gotin a little late, and went at once to my room. That telegram may havedropped from my pocket at any time, someone may have picked it up andput it--I mean dropped it--as they were passing the statue--eitherbefore or after it was pulled from the base."
"That is hardly likely," said the doctor. "I am very sorry, Matson, butI must conclude that even if you had no hand in the vandalism, that youknow who did it, or suspect."
"But I don't!" cried Joe eagerly. "Someone may have put this telegramthere to make it look----"
He stopped in some confusion. He never had been a "squealer," and he wasnot going to begin now.
"I think I know what you mean," said the proctor quietly. "You mean thatsome enemy of yours may have had an object in making it appear as ifyou had a hand in this work." He looked narrowly at Joe.
"I--I, well, it might have happened that way."
"And of the students here, whom would you regard as your enemy?" askedDr. Fillmore quickly.
"I--I--I must refuse to answer," said Joe firmly. "It would not befair."
"You mean you won't tell?"
"I can't, Doctor. I haven't any right to assume that the telegram camethere that way. I know that I didn't pass very near the statue, eitheron leaving or coming back to school. The message dropped from my pocket,I'm sure of that, but the wind may have blown it near the statue."
"There was no wind last night," said the proctor severely.
"Then--then----" stammered Joe.
"That will do, Matson," said the doctor quietly, and there was sorrow inhis voice. "I will not question you further. I am convinced that if youhad no hand in the actual overturning of the statue, that you knowsomething of how it was done, or who did it. Are you prepared to tellus?"
"No, sir, I am not. I--can't."
"I think I understand," said Dr. Fillmore. "Very well. Understand, we donot accuse you of anything, but under the circumstances I must put youon probation."
"Probation?" murmured Joe.
"Yes," added the proctor as the doctor turned away. "That means that youwill not be allowed to leave the school grounds. You will report to yourclasses and lectures as usual, but you will not be allowed to take partin athletic contests."
"Not--not baseball?" gasped Joe.
"Not baseball," replied the proctor. "I am sorry, but that is the rulefor one who is on probation. When you make up your mind to make acomplete confession, and tell whom you saw at the work of tearing downthe statue----"
"But I didn't----" began Joe.
"That will do," interrupted the proctor gently. "You are on probationuntil then. And you will not be allowed to play baseball."
Joe felt his heart wildly thumping under his coat. Without a word heturned aside and went back to his room. And that is why he missed chapelthat morning.
Baseball Joe on the School Nine; or, Pitching for the Blue Banner Page 27
