n athletics strength and skill win, regardless of money or family; so
it happened that the poorest man in the university stood a show of
becoming the lion and idol of the whole body of young men.

Compulsory chapel every morning brought together the entire college, and
had its effect in making everybody acquainted with everybody else.

A great fosterer of the democratic spirit was the old Yale fence, over
the departure of which "old grads" are forever shedding bitter tears.
The student who had not known the old fence was inclined to smile
wearily over the expressions of regret at its loss, but still the "old
grad" continued to insist that the fence was one of the crowning
beauties of Yale, and that nothing can ever replace it.

On the old fence men read the newspapers, crammed for recitation,
gossiped, told stories, talked athletics, sung songs, flirted with
passing girls, and got acquainted. Oh, yes, it was a great fosterer of
the democratic spirit.

In the promotion of this spirit the drinking places at Yale are
important factors. At Harvard the men drink in their clubs, the most of
which are very expensive places, and in the Boston cafes. The Yale men
drink at Morey's, and Traeger's, and Billy's. Traeger's, where from a
score to fifty students may be seen any afternoon or evening, is
furnished in exact imitation of German students' drinking places. In the
back room is heavy furniture, quaint paintings, and woodwork and
carvings. It had a sort of subdued cathedral light, which fell softly on
the mugs which decorated the shelves and mantel.

Frank had proven that it was not necessary for a man to drink at Yale in
order to be esteemed as a good fellow. Frank was a total abstainer, and
his friends had found that nothing would induce him to drink or smoke.
At first they ridiculed him, but they came to secretly admire him, and
it is certain that his example was productive of no small amount of
good.

Frank's acquaintances declared he had a mighty nerve, for he was able to
travel with a crowd that drank and smoked, and still refrained from
doing either. That was something difficult for them to understand.

It was apparent to everybody that Merriwell's popularity did not depend
on his ability to absorb beer or his generosity in opening fizz. It came
from his sterling qualities, his ability as an athlete, his natural
magnetism, and his genial, sunny nature. Although he was refined and
gentlemanly, there was not the lea