t men, ignorant of everything outside their books,
come from scattered homes, quite friendless, gravitated together in what
men like Rogers considered a social quarantine. Rogers, indeed, ventured
to warn George of the risk of contagion. As chance dictated George
chatted with such creatures; once or twice even walked across the campus
with them.

"You're making a mistake," Rogers advised, "being seen with polers like
Allen."

"I've been seen with him twice that I can think of," George answered.
"Why?"

"That lot'll queer you."

George put his hand on Rogers' shoulder.

"See here. If I'm so small that that will queer me, you can put me down
as damned."

He walked on with that infrequently experienced sensation of having made
an advance. Yet he couldn't quite see why. He had responded to an
instinct that must have been his even in the days at Oakmont, when he
had been less than human. If he didn't see more of men like Allen it was
because they had nothing to offer him; nothing whatever. Goodhue had----

When their paths crossed on the campus now Goodhue nodded, for each day
they met at the field, both certainties, if they escaped injury, for the
Freshmen eleven.

Football had ceased to be unalloyed pleasure. Stringham that fall used
the Freshmen rather more than the scrub as a punching bag for the
varsity. The devoted youngsters would take punishment from three or four
successive teams from the big squad. They became, consequently, as hard
as iron. Frequently they played a team of varsity substitutes off its
feet. George had settled into the backfield. He was fast with the ball,
but he found it difficult to follow his interference, losing patience
sometimes, and desiring to cut off by himself. Even so he made
consistent gains through the opposing line. On secondary defence he was
rather too efficient. Stringham was continually cautioning him not to
tackle the varsity pets too viciously. After one such rebuke Goodhue
unbent to sympathy.

"If they worked the varsity as hard as they do us Stringham wouldn't
have to be so precious careful of his brittle backs. Just the same,
Morton, I would rather play with you than against you."

George smiled, but he didn't bother to answer. Let Goodhue come around
again.

George's kicking from the start outdistanced the best varsity punts. The
stands, sprinkled with undergraduates and people from the town, would
become noisy with handclapping as his spirals arched down the f