s. Perkins gave him a motherly smile and told him in a careful
undertone that she was glad he was going to be one of her boys, after
which he felt childishly close to tears. He sat out-doors with the
others and smoked and joined weakly in the singing. The roses clinging
to the porch had never been so sweet; the Rho dog had never nosed so
affectionately against his shoulder. There was to be no substitute for
this. He wished he had never seen the campus. His mood communicated
itself to the others and things grew slow. One by one the fellows
slipped away with various excuses. Finally Cap said:

"Come up to the room," and Haviland went up stairs with the emotions one
carries to the dentist.

Smith threw himself on the bed and motioned Walt to a chair at his study
table. They tried a little general conversation, but failed mournfully.
The Freshman had a wretched feeling that this room was home to him. He
had slept here so often and he knew every athletic picture and trophy
around it. There had been something said about his living here with Cap
after Christmas. The clock ticked spitefully at him.

Smith's voice, deep and quiet, broke the pause.

"What's the good word, Professor?"

Walt swallowed a lump, nervously opened a book that lay on the table,
then looked at the big red sweater on the bed, and said:

"I can't do it, Cap."

Smith kicked a pillow of which he thought a great deal almost into the
grate, and said with fine scorn:

"When do you join the Phis?"

"I don't know," said Van, drearily.

"Well, I think you're nutty; it's the cheesiest gang in College."

The battle had begun. Walt might as well practice his defense at once,
so he said with a little dignity:

"My uncle is a Phi, and it is his wish."

"So that is it!" Such a reason was no discredit to the Rhos; therefore
it was the harder to accept. "You give me a jolt, Walt. Just because
your uncle is in a rotten fraternity you must crawl into the heap, too.
I'd see him hanged first before I'd queer myself with those yaps."

Cap went on even more impatiently, but the Freshman heard not a word.
He was staring at the book open before him.

"Cap, what book is this?"

"The fraternity catalogue."

"What fraternity?"

"Ours, of course; whose did you think it was, the--"

Walt gave a hysterical whoop and flung himself over the footboard upon
the astonished Smith. He rolled him over the bed and sent him to join
the pillow on the floor; then, sitting up