Left by himself, the young man began to be a good bit frightened.
He was brave enough in matters requiring only physical courage.
But in this instance the culprit knew that he had been guilty
of a contemptibly mean act, and the knowledge of it made a moral
coward of him.

"What are they doing? Trying to sentence, me to solitary confinement?"
wondered the young man, when minute after minute went by without
any call for him. In the Board room he could hear the droning
of voices.

"And that Dick Prescott is out there, sitting at a reporter's
table, ready to take in all that happens," muttered Phin savagely.
"Won't he enjoy himself, though?"

At last it seemed to Phin as though a hush fell over those in
the next room. But it was only that voices had been much lowered.

Then a door opened, the clerk looking in and calling:

"Mr. Drayne, will you come before the Board now?"

Phin passed into the larger apartment. Seated in one chair was
Dr. Thornton; in another chair Mr. Morton. And Dick Prescott
was there, but gathering up his writing materials as though about
to go.

The chairman waited in silence until Prescott had passed out of
the Board room. After the clerk had closed the door the chairman
announced: