rl spoke.

"I can go Alpha Sig if I want," he said softly.

Hugh looked up. "Good!" he exclaimed, honestly pleased. "But I hope we
can both go Nu Delt. Did they come right out and bid you?"

"Er--no. Not exactly. It's kinda funny." Carl obviously wanted to tell
something and didn't know how to go about it.

"What do you mean 'funny'? What happened?"

Carl shifted around in his chair nervously, filled his pipe, lighted it,
and then forgot to smoke.

"Well," he began slowly, "Morton--you know that Alpha Sig, Clem Morton,
the senior--well, he got me off into a corner to-night and talked to me
quite a while, shot me a heavy line of dope. At first I didn't get him
at all. He was talking about how they needed new living-room furniture
and that sort of thing. Finally I got him. It's like this--well, it's
this way: they need money. Oh, hell! Hugh, don't you see? They want
money--and they know I've got it. All I've got to do is to let them know
that I'll make the chapter a present of a thousand or two after
initiation--and I can be an Alpha Sig."

Hugh was sitting tensely erect and staring at Carl dazedly.

"You mean," he asked slowly, "that they want you to buy your way in?"

Carl gave a short, hard laugh. "Well, nobody said anything vulgar like
that, Hugh, but you've got the big idea."

"The dirty pups! The goddamn stinkers! I hope you told Morton to go
straight to hell." Hugh jumped up and stood over Carl excitedly.

"Keep your shirt on, Hugh. No, I didn't tell him to go to hell. I didn't
say anything, but I know that all I've got to do to get an Alpha Sig bid
to-morrow night is to let Morton know that I'd like to make the chapter
a present. And I'm not sure--but I think maybe I'll do it."

"What!" Hugh cried. "You wouldn't, Carl! You know damn well you
wouldn't." He was almost pleading.

"Hey, quit yelling and sit down." He got up, shoved Hugh back into his
chair, and then sat down again. "I want to make one of the Big Three;
I've got to. I don't believe that either Nu Delt or Kappa Zete is going
to bid me. See? This is my only chance--and I think that I'm going to
take it." He spoke deliberately, staring pensively into the fire.

"I don't see how you can even think of such a thing," Hugh said in
painful wonderment. "Why, I'd rather never join a fraternity than buy
myself into one."

"You aren't me."

"No, I'm not you. Listen, Carl." Hugh turned in his chair and faced
Carl, who kept his eyes on the dying f