picking on me? Why
don't you ride some of them for a while? I don't see where they're so
hot."

"Never mind the other fellows." Tucker's black eyes flashed angrily. He
was one of the "hell-raisers" himself, good looking; always beautifully
dressed, and proud of the fact that he was "rated the smoothest man on
the campus." His "smoothness" had made him prominent in activities--that
and his estimate of himself. He took it for granted that he would be
prominent, and the students accepted him at his own valuation; and
powerful Nu Delta had been behind him, always able to swing Votes when
votes were needed.

"Never mind the other fellows," he repeated. "They're none of your
party. You've got talents, and you're not making use of them. You could
be as popular as the devil if you wanted to, but you go chasing around
with kikes and micks."

Hugh was very angry and a little absurd in his youthful pomposity. "I
suppose you refer to Parker and Einstein--my one mick friend, although
he isn't Irish, and my, one Jewish friend. Well, I shall stick to them
and see just as much of them as I like. I've told you that before, and
you might as well get me straight right now: I'm going to run with
whoever I want. The fraternity cannot dictate to me about my friends.
You told me you didn't want Parker and Einstein around the house. I
don't bring them around. I don't see as how you've got a right to ask
anything more."

"I don't suppose you realize that everything you do reflects on the
fraternity," Tucker retorted, slightly pompous himself.

"I suppose it does, but I can't see that I have done anything that is
going to ruin the name of Nu Delta. I don't get potted regularly or
chase around with filthy bags or flunk my courses or crib my way
through; and I could mention some men in this house who do all those
things." Hugh was thoroughly angry and no longer in possession of his
best judgment. "If you don't like the way I act, you can have my pin any
time you say." He stood up, his blue eyes almost black with rage, his
cheeks flushed, his mouth a thin white line.

Tucker realized that he had gone too far. "Oh, don't get sore, Hugh," he
said soothingly. "I didn't mean it the way you are taking it. Of course,
we don't want you to turn in your pin. We all like you. We just want you
to come around more and be one of the fellows, more of a regular guy. We
feel that you can bring a lot of honor to the fraternity if you want to,
and we've been