CHAPTER XIV AN INVESTIGATION
The official bulletin board was located near the head of the stairs whichled down to the dining room in Horton Hall. Space in front of it was at apremium after meals; for everybody was anxious to keep in touch withcampus news. On the day following the fire, an even larger group ofstudents than usual crowded into the shallow ell where the board hung.
"Look, Pat!" cried Anne, pointing to the top notice. "The followingstudents are requested to meet the Dean in her office at two o'clock:
Patricia Randall Frances Quinne Katharine Weldon"
Patricia read the notice slowly. Although she knew an investigation wouldsurely be made, nevertheless her heart sank to her very shoes when shesaw her fears realized quite so soon. Turning away abruptly, she pushedout of the crowd and started for the door.
"What's the matter?" demanded Anne, who followed and caught up with heron the street.
"Nothing," replied Patricia quickly; "or--that investigation."
"But why get all 'het up' over that? Simply tell what you know."
"But that's just it; I _don't_ know."
"Know what?" questioned Anne, linking her arm through that of her friend,and pressing close to her side. "Tell me all about it; you'll feelbetter."
"I'm not sure that I should," began Patricia doubtfully.
"Oh, shucks! What's a friend for? I'll guess then. You know more aboutthe fire than you told Dolly?" hazarded Anne, watching Patricia intently."You don't need to admit it; I can tell just by looking at you. We'llwalk over to the park so no one will interrupt us, and then you canunburden your mind. I'll bet you didn't sleep a wink last night. You looklike nobody's business."
Up and down the deserted paths of the little park they paced briskly, forthe wind was cold, while Patricia told her story.
"If I were you," said Anne, when Patricia had finished, "I wouldn'tadvance any information; just answer the Dean's questions. If she doesn'task you whether you had any suspicions who the man was, you'll be allright. In any case, don't worry about it."
In spite of the comfort derived from confiding in Anne, the morningseemed endless to Patricia, who alternately longed for and dreaded thearrival of two o'clock. Promptly on the stroke of the hour, the threegirls from Arnold Hall were admitted to Dean Walters' sunny, spaciousoffice. Hardly were they seated in the chairs given them by Miss Jolly,the Dean's secretary, when Mrs. Vincent walked in.
"The Dean will be in in a few minutes," murmured Miss Jolly, placinganother chair for the latest arrival. As she spoke, the door to an innerroom opened, and a dignified, grey-haired woman crossed the room brisklyto seat herself behind a large flat-topped desk, facing her callers.
"It is most distasteful to me," began the Dean without preamble, "to beobliged to question you regarding last night's catastrophe. Arson is aserious matter, and you will do much harm if you try to shield anyone, orby withholding any detail which might help discover the culprit. So I askthat you be perfectly frank with me, and regard what is said in here asstrictly confidential. Mrs. Vincent, I'll hear first whatever you cantell me."
Nervously the chaperon of Arnold Hall told the events of her evening,passing rapidly over the fact that she had left Patricia practicallyalone in the house, and dwelling at some length on her own indisposition.The Dean's face betrayed no indication of her thoughts, nor did she makeany comment when Mrs. Vincent had finished her story.
Little chills began to run up and down Patricia's spine as she awaitedher turn next; but Dean Walters turned slightly in her chair in order toface Frances more directly, and began to question her rapidly as to herwhereabouts the previous evening; in what condition she had left herroom; whether she or Katharine ever smoked there; if her or her roommate's clothing and belongings were insured, and so on. Patricia shiveredstill more as she realized that the Dean intended to question them ratherthan to listen to their stories. Frances was so frightened that shestumbled and stuttered through her replies, and finally burst intonervous tears.
"There is no reason for you to be so disturbed, Miss Quinne," said theDean calmly; "I do not accuse or suspect any one of you; but I mustobtain all the information I possibly can, not only in order to apprehendthe culprit, if possible, but to satisfy the insurance inspectors. MissWeldon, can you add anything to the facts your room mate has just givenme?"
"No, Dean Walters," replied Katharine promptly, "except that early in theevening as we were dressing for dinner, our lights kept jumping, goingout and then coming on again, you know."
"Did you try the bulbs to see if they were screwed in tight?"
"No, we didn't, because it was late and we were in a great hurry."
"Have the lights ever acted that way before?" inquired the Deanthoughtfully, resting her chin in her hand, and fixing her keen blue eyeson the girl's face.
"A couple of times within the last week."
"Why did you not report them?" The question came a bit sharply.
"Just carelessness, I suppose," admitted Katharine frankly. "We neverbother about things until they are entirely out of commission. You seewe're always just getting back from somewhere, or going out to something;so we really don't have much time." Katharine grinned in a friendlymanner at the stern woman behind the desk; nothing could disturb orsubdue Katharine. Dean Walters made a few notes on a small pad, thenturned to Patricia.
"Tell me exactly where you were last night, and every detail of yourevening."
Slowly and coherently Patricia furnished the desired information, andthen paused, hoping with all her heart that she would not be questionedfurther. False hope.
"You say you were in your room for a short time before the fire brokeout. Did you notice anything out of the ordinary then?"
Patricia flushed up to the roots of her hair, opened her lips, and thenclosed them again.
"I see that you did," commented the Dean quickly. "Let me have all thefacts, please."
Reluctantly Patricia told about the man she had seen, and his oddactions.
"Describe him," ordered Dean Walters, making notes rapidly.
"I--I didn't see his face," began Patricia.
"Do as well as you can, then, with his general appearance, clothing,etc."
As Patricia proceeded, hesitatingly, with the description, Frances gave alittle gasp which, though immediately suppressed, did not escape thequick ear of the attentive woman.
"Had you then, or have you now, any ideas as to the identity of thatman?" inquired the Dean.
"I'd--really--rather not say," faltered the girl.
"Neither the information nor your part in it will be made public. I amwaiting, Miss Randall," as poor Patricia still hesitated.
"He looked to me like Mr. Young, Mrs. Brock's secretary; but it doesn'tseem possible for him to be mixed up in such an affair."
A dead silence followed; then Dean Walters picked up her telephone."Assistant Registrar, please," she requested curtly, tapping nervouslywith her pencil as she waited for the connection. "Mr. Billings? This isDean Walters. Please get in touch with Norman Young at once and send himto my office."
No one spoke or moved as all tensely awaited the arrival of the newparticipant in the inquiry. In ten minutes Miss Jolly admitted the blondyouth, clad in his customary grey clothes, and carrying a soft grey hat.
"Sit down, Mr. Young," directed the Dean, indicating a chair. "We aretrying to get some information regarding last night's fire at ArnoldHall; and I wondered, since you live so near to it, if you could addanything to the facts I already have. I understand you sometimes cutthrough the yard to get to Mrs. Brock's house. Did you happen to do solast evening?"
"Yes, I did," replied the boy frankly, "about half past eight, or maybenine o'clock."
Patricia trembled. So it _had_ been he. Quietly she wrapped her coat moreclosely about her so no one would notice that she was shaking violently.
"Where were you going?" inquired the Dean.
"Home, to work on my assi
gnments for today," answered Norman, letting hisglance travel along the row of girls at his left. No one of them,however, met his eyes.
"Did you notice anything unusual about the dormitory?"
"Only that it was dark."
"How did you happen to notice that?"
"The path which is always well lighted from the windows on that side wasso dark that I involuntarily looked up to see what was the matter,"responded the youth glibly, gazing directly, and Patricia thoughtsomewhat defiantly, into the Dean's eyes.
"Were you out again that night?"
"Yes, Dean; I went over on an errand--for Mrs. Brock."
"Through the dormitory yard?"
"Yes."
"And when did you return?"
"I don't really know the exact time, but it was after the Fire Departmenthad reached the Hall; I could not get through the crowd to go home."
"How, then, did Mrs. Brock get in touch with you to deliver her messageto Mrs. Vincent?"
"After watching the firemen for a while, I went around the block andentered Mrs. Brock's house just in time to prevent her going over to theHall herself."
"Why didn't you want her to go?" demanded Dean Walters sharply.
"Well, she is an old lady, and it was a cold night for her to be out, andlate for her to be out alone."
"What was your 'errand' for Mrs. Brock, and where did it take you?"
"That I am not at liberty to disclose; it is my employer's business," wasthe decided response.
Dean Walters opened her lips to speak, then abruptly closed them again. Amoment's silence followed; then, turning toward Mrs. Vincent and thegirls, she said curtly: "You may go. Your testimony was quitesatisfactory. Mr. Young will remain."
Single file, like Indians, the four women left the office, descended ashort flight of stairs, passed through a doorway at the foot, and wereout upon the street. Then everybody drew a long breath of the frosty airand began to speak.
"Wasn't it terrible?" demanded Frances. "I acted like a fool."
"Oh, forget it!" advised Katharine. "You were nervous; we all were."
"Not you," contradicted Patricia. "I envy you your poise upon alloccasions."
"What do you suppose the Dean will do about Norman Young, Mrs. Vincent?"asked Frances.
"I imagine she may get in touch with Mrs. Brock," replied the chaperonsomewhat irritably; for she felt she had not made the best of impressionsupon the Dean. It was advisable for her to have that lady's goodwill; forthe appointments as chaperon in the various dormitories were made yearly,and Mrs. Vincent had reasons of her own for wishing to remain at ArnoldHall at least two years longer.
Several days passed, and the girls still gossiped among themselves aboutthe investigation; for the officials were strangely silent upon thesubject. No statement had been made public, and the students wereconsumed with curiosity.
"Mrs. Vincent," said Katharine one night when the chaperon came to herroom to borrow a hat, "what did the Dean find out about the fire? We'redying to know."
"I believe that upon the advice of Mrs. Brock, the whole affair has beendropped," answered Mrs. Vincent, trying on Katharine's hat before themirror, her mind more upon what she was doing than upon what she wassaying.
"What on earth--" began Katharine.
"I don't know any more," interrupted the chaperon quickly. "I'm not sureI should have told you that much. Don't quote me, please."
"I won't," promised Katharine good-naturedly, "but may I tell the girlswithout saying where I got the information? They're all wondering."
"Perhaps it would be well to do so; then maybe they'll drop the subject."
A couple of weeks later, the Dean announced in chapel one day thatdefective wiring had evidently caused the fire in Arnold Hall, and askedthe girls in all dormitories to be very careful in their use ofelectrical appliances.