by Clair Blank
Chapter VIII
MYSTERIOUS STRANGER
Gale could never quite clearly remember her dash to the infirmary afterDoctor Norcot, but finally Phyllis was there, shut into a room with thedoctor and nurse and Gale and the Dean were in the corridor. Gale waspacing up and down, the Dean watching her. It was dark outside and asingle light made a white circle on the tile floor and walls.
Gale stopped her pacing long enough to glare at the door to Phyllis'room. She had a wild desire to throw it open and burst in.
"Be patient a little longer, Gale," the Dean said compassionately. "Youcan see her in a few minutes."
"Why did it have to be her?" Gale asked in an agonized whisper. "Shesuffered so much these past weeks after the hockey accident and now----She did it saving us! We might have been crushed under that lumber."
The door opened and the Doctor came out followed by a nurse.
"May I go in?" Gale asked.
The Doctor nodded wearily. "Be cheerful, make her smile but don't lether get excited or talk too much."
"I'm so full of splinters I can't even smile," Phyllis said gloomilywhen Gale was beside her. "You had better go get your dinner."
"You aren't going to get rid of me so easily," Gale laughed.
Phyllis' face was all scratched and she looked white and tired.
"Honestly, Phyl----" she began when she remembered the Doctor's warning."This was a fine thing for you to do. Now I'll be by myself in our roomtonight again. See that you are back tomorrow, young lady, or I shallmove in here with you. After all, I believe you did it so you wouldn'thave to go to Biology class tomorrow. There is more than one way ofescaping an exam. Though I can't say I would choose this way."
"Don't talk so much," Phyllis said bluntly. "You don't know a word youare saying."
Gale nodded soberly. "Right you are. I can't think of a thing but theway you pulled us out of danger this afternoon and now you----" She tookher friend's hand. "I'll make it up to you sometime, Phyl."
"Go way," Phyllis said tenderly. "Go get your dinner and study your oldBiology and come and see me tomorrow."
Gale went out and found the Doctor and the Dean in conference in thecorridor.
"She seems to be all right," Gale said.
"She has the courage of six girls," the Doctor said firmly. "But, MissHoward, I am afraid your friend is right where she was five weeks ago."
"You mean her leg----"
"Crushed under the lumber this afternoon," the Doctor said. "Not toobadly crushed but enough to undo the healing of these past weeks."
"Poor Phyllis!" Gale whispered.
"Do you think she would want to go home until she is well again?" theDean asked as she walked to the door with Gale.
Gale shook her head. "No," she said decidedly. "Phyllis wouldn't want togo home." Strange, perhaps, that she should choose to stay here, buteven the college infirmary was brighter, more cheerful than the house onthe hill to which Phyllis would have to go.
"Come and have your dinner with me," the Dean invited.
"Thanks, no," Gale said when they were on the campus. "I--I'd rather bealone, thank you. I have to write Phyllis' aunt again," she sighed.
The Dean turned toward her office and Gale toward Happiness House. Shewalked along, hands in her pockets, deep in thought until at last shereached the sorority house. She met Adele Stevens and Ricky and conveyedto them the news of Phyllis. After her dinner she went upstairs to studybut she found she could not concentrate.
Phyllis was on her mind. Alternated with thoughts of her friend wereremembrances of the conversation they had had with the Dean thatafternoon. She was completely at sea as to who could be doing themysterious things. Quite suddenly she sat erect before her desk andstared with narrowed eyes at the wall opposite. That had been a goodlypile of lumber this afternoon. It had been piled, perhaps a bitprecariously, but nevertheless it had not wavered until that momentbefore it fell. Could it be--was it possible--that someone had pushedit? The pile really had needed but a bit of pressure to send it over.Who had exerted that bit of pressure?
At first Gale laughed at herself. It was a wild idea! No one would dothat! But the more she thought about it the more plausible it became.She had thought no one would throw acid out the Chemistry Hallwindow--but evidently someone had!
Then she remembered the note the Dean had had in her hand when thelumber fell upon Phyllis. She had a fleeting vision of the same notelying in the mud unheeded. Their one valuable clue gone!
Catching up her coat Gale switched out the light and stepped into thehall. No one was in sight. She sped down the stairs and at the bottombumped into Adele Stevens.
"Where are you going, Gale?" the Senior asked. "It is study hour."
"I know," Gale said breathlessly. "I--I can't study. I thought I'd gofor a short walk."
"Thinking about Phyllis?" Adele said kindly. "All right, Gale. I supposeyou can tonight. Be back before lights-out bell."
"I will," Gale breathed and was gone before the sorority president couldchange her mind.
The late autumn evening was clear and cold. The leafless branches of thetrees rubbed together making queer eerie noises. Windows of thedormitory and sorority houses shone yellow with light. Gale steppedalong briskly. She passed the dormitory houses and halted before theChemistry Hall. There was a light burning in the third floor laboratory.Was one of the Professors working late? Probably. She turned away intothe shadows behind the building.
It was terribly dark in here. She took the small flashlight from hercoat pocket and switched it on. She had been just about to stumble intoa mud puddle. Now she jumped across it and proceeded with caution. Shecame to the scene of the afternoon. The lumber lay as it had fallen. Inher mind's eye Gale could still see Phyllis lying there. She shiveredand turned away. Carefully she went over the ground. Caught under aboard, torn almost in half, Gale found the note. It was dirty andwrinkled and torn but she carefully folded it in the original creasesand stored it in her coat pocket. She switched off her flashlight andstood listening. Had she heard a sound?
The moon was completely hidden behind a cloud. The wind whistled in herears. She shivered in her warm coat. It wasn't the cold, it was thedarkness, the shadowy world about her, and the knowledge of another'spresence. She strained her ears to catch the faintest sound. There was asudden creak and a smothered exclamation as someone stumbled over a bitof lumber. Gale crouched against half-piled boards and waited.
A man's figure was outlined against the light from the moving clouds. Ahat pulled low on his forehead and a long overcoat with collar turned upcompletely hid his identity. Gale considered jumping in front of him andflashing her light in his face. She would know who he was then! But shereconsidered the next moment, and waited to see what he was after. Itwas obvious that he was searching for something. He crouched low to theground, examining every foot of space thoroughly with a small pocketlamp. What could he be searching for? Could it be the note in herpocket? Convulsively her hand closed about the muddy piece of paper. Itmust be this! There was nothing else here. Gale took a step backward asthe figure moved closer. That was the fatal moment. She stumbled wildlyover something and fell. The clatter was distinct and as loud as acannon shot in the stillness. The man whirled. He flashed his light fullinto Gale's face. She blinked in the sudden glare and did not move. Inanother second the light was gone and the figure had fled toward thecampus.
Gale scrambled to her feet but it was hopeless to think of pursuit. Ifonly she hadn't fallen! Her clumsiness had spoiled everything! The manwas gone now and so was her chance of solving the mystery. She shook themud from her coat and picked her way back to the campus.
The light was gone from the Chemistry laboratory. A lot of windows inthe other dormitories were dark, too. It was growing late. Gale hastenedher steps. She had to be in before lights-out bell rang. She hadpromised Adele, and not only that, she didn't fancy being out late onthe campus with that mysterious stranger--the
mystery man who knew heridentity but whom she did not know. He had her at a decideddisadvantage. He knew, now, who was spying on him and noting hismovements. She knew she must guard against someone, but whom? If onlyshe had discovered his identity! She rebuked herself again. She wouldhave given nearly all she possessed to know who else wanted the note.
When she returned to her room she examined the bit of paper moreclosely. Through the dirt, after she had carefully pasted the torn partstogether, the brief typewritten message was still clearly legible. Therewas nothing to distinguish this typewriting from any other except--theletter R was slightly raised above the level of the other letters. Thatmight help a little in identifying the typewriter. If she found amachine which had that little peculiarity it might lead to themysterious stranger.
She smiled to herself as she switched off her light and got into bed.She would turn all the girls into Sherlock Holmeses seeking and tryingall the typewriters they could find.