GAMMA TAU RECEIVES A SHOCK.
It was two weeks after the great game with Warwick, and things in
Queen's School had settled down into their normal condition. The
election of the captain had taken place a few days after the closing
game, and the choice was on Boston Wheeler, the fullback. The school
did not particularly like the choice, although Wheeler was really
a fair player, and had, while he was a member of Gamma Tau, showed
himself to be a man of rather good judgment.
"He's the best of the bunch," announced the Wee One, who had kept up
the friendship with Frank and his friends. The Wee One had just now
dropped into Frank's room to talk over the situation.
"Do you think he'll make a good leader?" questioned Frank.
"Yes, if he doesn't take too much advice from Chip Dixon. It's a
sure thing that as long as Dixon is on the eleven he will work it for
his friends, and he will work Wheeler for his friends."
"It's queer to me," said Frank, "that as bright as he is about most
things, he can't see where his playing favorites hurts himself, and
the team and the school. Although Jimmy was better than Hillard, he
fought him off as long as he could. I believe if Jimmy had been in
that game all through it the score would have been different. What do
you think?"
"Yes, I think the score would have been smaller for Warwick, but
Jimmy alone couldn't have stopped it. The trouble was with the
captain. He couldn't pull his men together when the test came. They
played good ball in spots, but they had it in them to play it all the
time. Gamma Tau is responsible for the poor athletic showing here at
Queen's. And, speaking of Gamma Tau, have you heard that they are
pledging for the March elections?"
"No, I hadn't heard. Are they?"
"Yes. I've been wondering if they've called on you."
"Me? Gracious! You know that Chip Dixon would rather stick me than
have me in Gamma Tau," said Frank.
"Perhaps so, but he isn't all of the Society. There are some good
fellows in it, and they don't take his view. What would you do if it
were offered to you, Frank?"
"I don't want it, and I wouldn't take an election."
"Yes, but Alpha Beta is the only other; you're sure to get asked by
their scouts. I wonder they haven't been around yet."
"I don't want Alpha Beta either. I don't see that it is necessary for
me to be in a society, is it? What good is Alpha, anyway?"
"Well, it's made up of the left-overs from Gamma Tau, as I told you
when you came here. It hasn't any weight. It's the Gamma that is the
Colossus around whose legs we all crawl."
"I'm not going to crawl around Gamma Tau. I don't like what it stands
for, so I'm going to stand for myself. I can get along without it."
"Hear, hear, fine sentiments from Mr. Frank Armstrong. Hurray for
high morality----"
The Wee One was interrupted by the opening of Frank's door. Jimmy
entered.
"Hello," he said, "glad to see you. Hope I'm not intruding."
"Oh, not at all. We were just talking about Gamma Tau and her scouts
who are out pledging for the elections."
"Well, that's just what I came over here to talk to Frank about."
"I'll be going then," said the Wee One, sliding down from the window
seat.
"No, don't," cried Jimmy. "You're just the Solomon whose advice I
need. You are bowed down with the wisdom of the ages. Stay where you
are."
"I'm on my pedestal again," announced the Wee One when he had climbed
back to his commanding position. "Fire away, and I'll pass judgment
with the help of the whole jury, Frank Armstrong. Have they asked you
to come into the fold?"
"That's just it. Cuthbert, of the baseball team, and another fellow I
don't know, came around half an hour ago and asked to see me alone.
They fired poor Lewis out of the room, locked the door, and then
began to ask me fool questions about myself. I didn't know what they
were driving at, but after a while Cuthbert stopped beating around
the bush, and asked me how I'd like to wear a Gamma Tau pin."
"And you said you'd rather have a rose," interjected the Wee One.
"No, I didn't. I just said I hadn't thought about it. Apparently he
had the notion that I should have fallen head-over-heels into the
plan. I hadn't been thinking about any such possibility, and I sat
there like a dummy."
"And what happened? You are killing me with impatience!"
"Well, they began to tell me some of the advantages of belonging to
it----"
"And some of the disadvantages of not belonging, eh?"
"No, they just hinted at those," said Jimmy, smiling. "They said that
I had made a good showing in football----"
"No credit to them," snorted Frank.
"And that if I kept on there would be a good chance for me to make
the captaincy, if I came into Gamma Tau."
"They emphasized the IF, I suppose?" inquired the Wee One.
"Well, it was a little like that. They intimated that with Gamma Tau
behind me I could have anything I wanted."
"Yes, that's exactly what they think. But maybe there'll be a change
some of these fine days."
"Well," said Jimmy, "I'm here for advice. What do you think I ought
to do?"
"Don't you know what to do?" said Frank.
"I think I do, but I don't want to make mistakes, and I thought I'd
like to talk it over with some one. My own notion is that Gamma Tau
can go hang. I don't like the bunch that is in Gamma Tau, and I don't
like the way they are running things in this school."
"You don't mean to say that another Freshman has chucked down poor
old Gamma Tau?" said the Wee One, in what he pretended was an
awe-struck whisper. "Frank here, has just been firing hot shot into
them. It's a rebellion of the Freshman class, that's what it is, I
tell you."
"Quit your jollying, Patty," said Jimmy. "Before Cuthbert and the
other fellows got out of my room I told them that I guessed I'd take
a chance on staying out, and if I couldn't make good on merits I'd
have to make bad. They said not to make up my mind in a hurry, and
that they'd see me again."
"A throw-down for the Gammas. Hurrah, hurroo! But it's all off with
you now. You have digged your grave, as they say in Shakespeare;
it's your athletic grave. You're as good as dead now. Go and buy a
nice, sweet little headstone and mark it: 'Sacred to the memory of
the rising athletic hopes of James Turner. Erected by the Gamma Tau
Society.'"
It seemed like a dread prophecy to both the boys, who had come to the
school hoping that they might be able to do something for the school
besides their school work, something to help the honor of the school
on field or river, and silence fell for a time on the gay talk. As
they sat there, steps were heard on the stairs.
"S-s-s-h!" whispered the Wee One. "I'll bet a dollar it's the Gamma
scouts come to have a whack at Frank. Jimmy, you and I hide." They
sprang from their seats and scampered to Frank's bedroom, where
they drew the curtain, from behind which they could hear everything
that might go on in the room. The Wee One's guess was good, for the
two were scarcely concealed when the footsteps stopped at the door,
and there was a knock. Frank had snatched a book from the table and
placed himself in the attitude of study.
"Come in," he called.
The door opened and in walked the Gamma scouts, Cuthbert and his
friend.
"Sit down," said Frank courteously, rising and offering his visitors
chairs.
"What did I tell you?" whispered the Wee One to Jimmy, "They're after
your young friend."
"How do you like Queen's?" was Cuthbert's first query. "Pretty good
place, isn't it?"
"I haven't been here very long," said Frank, "but I think it's fine.
If we only had some good athletic teams here! Seems to be a dandy
bunch of fellows."
"Yes, I guess it's one of the best schools in this part of the
country," said Cuthbert. "We are not so big as Andover nor Hotchkiss
nor Hill School, but size isn't always the best thing. We are closer
together than these big schools, and in a small school all the best
fellows get together easier." Cuthbert settled himself in his chair,
and threw back his coat, displaying the handsome Gamma Tau pin on his
waistcoat. It was a well-known thing that a glimpse of the Gamma pin
had often settled the case of the doubting ones, when it flashed its
radiant message to the candidate.
But it did not dazzle Frank the least little bit.
"Yes," he said, "we have everything here, I guess, excepting good
athletic teams." He said it so innocently that Cuthbert, who looked
up quickly, did not know whether he was hinting at Gamma's part in
the "good" athletic teams or not. At Frank's words the Wee One gave
Jimmy his elbow so hard behind the curtain that that individual
staggered and almost lost his balance.
"Well," continued Cuthbert, settling back comfortably, "we might
have better teams, and we are going to have them. Things have been
breaking badly for us for some time, but there are good times ahead."
"I hope so," said Frank, "we need better times."
Again there was a scraping sound behind the curtains, but Cuthbert,
not noticing it, went on: "You have a friend named Turner, who lives
in the other end of Warren, haven't you?"
"Yes. He's one of my best friends."
"Well, we want him in Gamma Tau," said Cuthbert, coming straight to
the point. "He's a likely fellow, and we think will make good. In
fact, we'd like to have you both come into our fraternity. The first
elections are in March. It is considered a very great honor to get a
first election. You play baseball, don't you?"
"Yes, a little."
"Pitcher, I hear."
"Yes, pretty poor, though."
"Well, that's all right. You will improve. We want you to be one of
us, and to use your influence with Turner. You will be both taken
in together. It doesn't often happen to Freshmen. I didn't get my
election till my second year, and I thought I was pretty lucky then."
"And you want me to use my influence with Turner?"
"Yes; neither of you know, perhaps, that Gamma controls the school
athletics, and it can help a fellow a great deal with the honors of
athletics."
"Doesn't a fellow stand as good a chance outside of Gamma as inside?"
"No, I shouldn't say he did. Most of the athletes are with us, and
we run things about as we wish them. May we have your word that you
will come along and bring Turner with you? It is a distinct honor,
you understand."
"I thank you very much for the honor," said Frank, steadily, looking
straight at Cuthbert, who expected a favorable reply, "but I do not
care to accept an election. I think Turner has the same opinion."
"But why?" said the amazed Cuthbert.
"According to all I hear, Gamma Tau has been responsible for all the
defeats in the school teams for the last three or four years. As you
said yourself, you run things to suit yourselves and elect your own
captains. It doesn't strike me as the right way to do it. They say a
fellow who isn't in Gamma Tau has no chance. If that's the thing that
decides it, I guess I'll stay outside."
Cuthbert rose to his feet as though he had sat on a tack, and his
friend followed suit. "You'll be sorry for this night, my boy," said
he, striding to the door and jerking it open. "I can tell you now
that for Freshmen you and your friend Turner have put yourselves in
wrong, and if I can help it you will not have another chance."
"Is that all?" said Frank, rising.
"Yes, that's all," shouted Cuthbert, and out they went, and banged
the door after them.
The scouts were hardly off the stairs when the Wee One and Jimmy
burst forth, holding their sides with laughter. "Hasn't he the nasty
temper, though!" cried the Wee One. "Now you're both buried in the
same grave. We'll erect a double monument for Turner and you. Wow!
but Gamma will be hopping mad."
"Let them," said Frank. "I don't care a hooter. If I can't get on a
team without bootlicking that crowd, I'll stay off it."
"Me, too," said Jimmy.
"And me, too," said the Wee One, assuming a dramatic attitude, and
thumping his narrow chest. "I wouldn't take the position of football
captain from the Gamma if they offered it to me."
At that moment a great clattering was heard on the stairs--some one
pounding up in undignified haste.
"They're coming back to capture you," cried the Wee One, "and take
you to their lair by main force. Skip." But before any one had time
to move, Lewis burst in at the door with his jaw hanging and his eyes
popping out of his head.
"The ghost!" he gasped, "the ghost! I was out behind Warren on the
bank a minute ago, and it came walking straight for me, and I beat
it for here at a mile a minute."
The boys dashed for the windows which looked out on the meadow and
playgrounds. Sure enough, there in the light of the half-moon went
the figure in white, sailing over the ground. They all watched it
with staring eyes, and while they were looking it stopped, made a
small circle, then headed off down behind the football stands and
disappeared.
The boys watched till it had gone, and then turned and looked at each
other in amazement.