t escape the astonished Rhos; he
was sensitive to the change in their manner, slight as it was. He would
have been glad enough to have stayed out of fraternities altogether if
it would have helped matters. There was a very jolly set in the Hall,
men who had refused far better bids than the Phis. Jimmie Mason and
Frank Lyman, "Peg" Langdon and Blake, the fullback; these fellows, as
prominent as any in College, were in the dormitory crowd; they used one
another's rooms and tobacco and clothes with the utmost good nature.
Walt had been fond of the big building from his first day there; he
could have had a happy time with this independent set.

He was not made any happier by Lyman's saying, "Whatever you do, don't
join the Phis. They've no standing here, and you won't help yourself
any." Freshmen usually listened to what Lyman said. But Haviland had
thought and reasoned and struggled with himself, and had come to a
conclusion. To write to his uncle, "I have joined the Phis because you
are one," would be worth any sacrifice. Perhaps he could work to improve
the crowd a little after he was one of them. At least there was no
reason why they need be his only friends.

He went to the lab one afternoon with his decision made. If the Phis
asked him to dinner, he would go and put his head on the block.

As he came along toward the main entrance he saw Andrew Higgins, the
longest, lankiest Phi of them all, bearing down upon him. His heart
sank, but his resolution was firm, and he looked his fate in the face.
When his executioner had almost reached him, somebody touched his
shoulder; it was Smith.

"Before your frat brother gets hold of you," muttered Cap, drawing Walt
aside, "I want to speak to you. The boys must have your final answer
to-day."

The "frat brother" was not to be turned down. He loomed up steadily in
their direction. Walt was miserable. It was the beginning of the end.

"I'll give it to-night," he said hurriedly, as the Phi reached them.

"Will you come to dinner?"

Haviland wanted one sunbeam before the darkness.

"Yes, I'll come, Cap," and turned to shake hands with the Phi, whose
invitation was frozen half-way in his throat. Now the Beta Phis were not
of the people who let to-morrow get anything while to-day lasts, so
Higgins asked Walt to come down after dinner for the night, and the
unhappy boy, half-hearing, promised.

It was a gloomy dinner for the Freshman, baked funeral meats and he the
corpse. Mr