hat's wrong with his errand?"

"Everything, Paul. You know as well as I that his offer is--well, it's
shady, to say the least. Who ever heard of a decent college offering
free tutoring in order to get fellows for its football team?"

"Lots of them do," growled Paul.

"No, they don't; not decent ones. Some do, I know; but they're not
colleges a fellow cares to go to. Every one knows what rotten shape
Robinson athletics are in; the papers have been full of it for two
years. Their center rush this fall, Harden, just went there to play on
the team, and everybody says that he got his tuition free. You don't
want to play on a team like that and have people say things like that
about you. I'm sure I don't."

"Oh, you!" sneered Paul. "You're getting crankier and crankier every
day. I'll bet you're just huffy because Brill didn't ask you first."

Neil flushed, but kept his temper.

"You don't think anything of the sort, Paul. Besides--"

"It looks that way," muttered Paul.

"Besides," continued Neil calmly, "what's the advantage in going to
Robinson? We've arranged everything; we've got our rooms picked out at
Erskine; there are lots of fellows there we know; the college is the
best of its class and its athletics are honest. If you play on the
Erskine team you'll be somebody, and folks won't hint that you're
receiving money or free scholarships or something for doing it. And as
for Brill's guarantee of a place on the team, why, there's only one
decent way to get on a football team, and that's by good, hard work; and
there's no reason for doubting that you'll make the Erskine
varsity eleven."

"Yes, there is, too," answered Paul angrily. "They've got lots of good
players at Erskine, and you and I won't stand any better show than a
dozen others."

"I don't want to."

"Huh! Well, I do; that is, I want to make the team. Besides, as Brill
said, if a fellow has the faculty after him all the time about studies
he can't do decent work on the team. I don't see anything wrong in it,
and--and I'm going. I'll tell Brill so to-morrow!"

Neil drew his bath-robe about him, and looked thoughtfully into the
flames. So far he had lost, but he had one more card to play. He turned
and faced Paul's angry countenance.

"Well, if I should go to Robinson and play on her team under the
conditions offered by that--by Brill I'd feel disgraced."

"You'd better stay away, then," answered Paul hotly.

"I wouldn't want to show my face aroun