te talking him over and wondering how he was "coming on."

The Beta Phis, for instance, were in painful doubt. They were conscious
of a comparatively poor stack-up, but their rushing energy was
admirable, and once the persecuted Haviland had been obliged to ask a
Beta Rho to hide him from them. Pellams and Smith were merry at dinner
that night.

In his heart, Walt had about decided on Beta Rho. This crowd treated him
with well-bred cordiality but with far less effusiveness than the
others. He was pleased when they had let him mix with them without
permitting him to forget the gulf between. This had put him off his
guard so that he had grown accustomed to them. Observing him expertly
from the corners of their eyes, they affected not to notice the way he
blushed after having joined unconsciously in a Beta Rho song. One day he
dropped over uninvited, and they understood. But in the first week of
their acquaintance they had told him to hold off and be slow about
pledging himself, and nothing more had been said so far.

On the night of the first rush, ending in complete victory for the
Freshmen, Haviland had been so unfortunate as to clinch with Cap Smith,
and he was largely responsible for the ignominious tying up of that
husky Sophomore. He would much rather have been carted off himself, if
it hadn't been for the class. He saw his Beta Rho chances vanishing.
Pellams evidently did not know what had happened, he was so good to him
after it, rubbing his bruises and dressing his scraped cheek. The next
day Cap Smith came over and bid him to the fraternity. As a matter of
principle, Haviland asked for a week to decide.

This indulgence was up to-day and now Cap was waiting for him after the
second-hour class. Walt knew what answer he should give. He felt very
contented.

"I got your mail for you," said Smith, handing him an envelope. "I've a
letter of my own to read, so tackle yours while we walk along."

They went up toward the stock-farm, and the boy opened his mother's
letter and read eagerly the home news and the affectionate questions.
She enclosed, she said, the check which his uncle, who was putting him
through College, had sent for October. Following this were a few words
that made him stare hard at the road before him, as he and Smith
strolled on. "Your uncle writes," said the letter, "that when he was at
Amherst he was a fraternity man, and thinks you ought to be one, and he
would like to have you join the socie