"I'm glad of that," he said wearily. "I've been
jawed until I don't know anything."

"I don't doubt it. Come on; let's get away from this racket." He took
Hugh by the arm and led him up-stairs to his own room, which was
pleasantly quiet and restful after the noise they had left.

When they were both seated in comfortable chairs, Graham began to talk.
"I know that you are being tremendously rushed, Carver, and I know that
you are going to get a lot of bids, too. I've been watching you all
through this week, and you seem dazed and confused to me, more confused
even than the average freshman. I think I know the reason."

"What is it?" Hugh demanded eagerly.

"I understand that your father is a Nu Delt."

Hugh nodded.

"And you're afraid that they aren't going to bid you."

Hugh was startled. "How did you know?" He never thought of denying the
statement.

"I guessed it. You were obviously worried; you visited other
fraternities; and you didn't seem to enjoy the attention that you were
getting. I'll tell you right now that you are worrying about nothing;
the Nu Delts will bid you. They are just taking you for granted; that's
all. You are a legacy, and you have accepted all their invitations to
come around. If you had stayed away one night, there would have been a
whole delegation rushing around the campus to hunt you up."

Hugh relaxed. For the time being he believed Graham implicitly.

"Now," Graham went on, "it's the Nu Delts that I want to talk about. Oh,
I'm not going to knock them," he hastened to add as Hugh eyed him
suspiciously. "I know that you have heard plenty of fraternities
knocking each other, but I am sure that you haven't heard any knocking
in this house."

"No I haven't," Hugh admitted.

"Well, you aren't going to, either. The Nu Delts are much more important
than we are. They are stronger locally, and they've got a very powerful
national organization. But I don't think that you have a very clear
notion about the Nu Delts or us or any other fraternity. I heard you
talking about fraternities the other night, and, if you will forgive me
for being awfully frank, you were talking a lot of nonsense."

Hugh leaned forward eagerly. He wasn't offended, and for the first time
that week he didn't feel that he was being rushed.

"Well, you have a lot of sentimental notions about fraternities that are
all bull; that's all. You think that the brothers are really brothers,
that they stick by each other an