he'd better have another
engagement the night of the class party, that's all."

Thereupon we all rose joyously up and told Frankling to go jump in the
creek. And he called us muckers and declared we were ignorant of the
first principles of social ethics. He said that Skjarsen might be near
enough our level to be inoffensive, but as for him he declined to have
anything to do with the class party. Thereupon we gave three cheers, and
that made him so mad that he left the meeting and fell over three chairs
trying to do it with speed and dignity. Altogether it was a most
enjoyable occasion. We'd never gotten quite so much satisfaction out of
him before.

The drawing took place the next week and, sure enough, Frankling
declined to allow his name to be put in the hat. We put Ole's name in
and were prepared to have him draw a Class A girl; but what happened
knocked the props out from under us. His name came fourth and he drew
the mortgaged and unapproachable Miss Spencer.

We didn't know whether to celebrate or prepare for trouble. It seemed
reasonable that Miss Spencer would back up Frankling and reduce Ole to
an icicle when he asked her to go with him. But the next morning, when
we saw Frankling, we were so happy that we forgot to worry. He was one
large paroxysm. I never saw so much righteous indignation done up in one
bundle. He cornered the class officers and declared in passionate tones
that they had committed the outrage of the century. They had insulted
one of the finest young women in the college. They had made it advisable
for all persons of culture to remain away from Siwash. The disgrace must
not be allowed. He didn't speak as a friend, but as a disinterested
party who wanted justice done; and he proposed to secure it.

We took all this quite humbly and asked him why he didn't see Ole
himself and order him to unhand the lady. From the way he turned pale,
we guessed he had done that already. Ole weighed two-twenty in his
summer haircut and was quick-tempered. We then asked him why he didn't
buy Ole off. We also asked him why he didn't shut down the college, and
why he didn't have Congress pass a law or something, and if his head had
ever pained him before. He was tearing off his collar in order to answer
more calmly and collectedly when Ole came into the room. Ole had combed
his hair and shined his shoes, and he had on the pink-and-blue necktie
that he had worn the month before to the annual promenade with a rent