to the idea, but he wasn't happy over it. When he squarely faced
the fact that when Claflin came trotting onto the field on the twentieth
he would be sitting in the grand stand instead of being out there in
togs, his heart sank miserably and he hardly knew whether he wanted to
kick something or get off in a corner and cry. At such moments the
question of whether his school fellows liked him or detested him
bothered little. If he could only play against Claflin, he assured
himself, the school might hate him to its heart's content!

Going on to Billings and his room, he considered what Roy had told him
of the altered sentiment toward him, but somehow he didn't seem to care
so much today. Watching practice had brought back the smart, and being
liked or disliked seemed a little thing beside the bigger trouble.
Still, he thought, if Roy was right perhaps he had better meet fellows
half-way. There was no use in being a grouch. As a starter and in order
to test the accuracy of Roy's statement, he decided that he would drop
in on Carl Bennett, who roomed in Number 3. Bennett was a chap he
rather respected and, while they had never been very close friends, Tom
had seen a good deal of the other during the Fall. But Bennett was not
in and Tom was making his way back to the stairs when the door of Number
6 opened and Harry Walton came out. Perhaps it was Roy's dressing-down
of that youth that prompted Tom to be more decent to him than usual. At
all events, Tom stopped and hailed him and they conversed together on
their way up the stairs. It wasn't until later that Tom, recalling
Harry's grudge against Don, wondered what had taken him to the latter's
room. Then he concluded that Harry had probably been calling on Tim, and
thought no more of it. Just now he asked Harry how he was getting on
with the team and was a little puzzled when Harry replied: "All right, I
guess. Of course, Gilbert's got the call right now, but I'm going to
beat him out before the big game. Did you see practice today?"

"Yes. You fellows put up a great game, Harry."

"I didn't get into it for more than ten minutes. Robey's playing Don
Gilbert for all he knows." Harry laughed disagreeably. "Robey's a bit of
a fox."

"How's that!" Tom inquired.

"Oh, he's sort of keeping me guessing, you see. Thinks I'll get worried
and dig harder."

"Huh. I see. You seem mighty certain of that place, Harry."

"Sure, I'm certain. You just wait and see, old top." Harry nod