the college year.

Every first-year man had the ambition to join one, which if he attained
assured him a luxurious home during the four years he spent in Ithaca.

One evening, three weeks after Tessibel's secret visit to her father in
the city jail, twenty fraternities were preparing all the practical
jokes which boyish minds could concoct, with which to initiate their new
candidates to full membership. Five new men were to join the "Cranium"
fraternity. The house of this society stood high upon the eastern hill
above the lake and overlooked the forest-mantled town. The first story
of the building contained the smoking, dining, billiard and two drawing
rooms. Above were sleeping chambers and private studies for the
students, and annexed to the house proper was a small stone structure
built purposely for the initiation of the new members.

On this night all interest was centered upon the annex where Frederick
Graves, Dan Jordan, Billy Dillon, Oscar Brown and Jimmy Preston were to
be taken through the "stunts."

In the afternoon the five young men had been locked in one of the
student's rooms, and told that they would receive their dinner during
the proceedings that evening. The gravity which had settled upon the
upper classmen frightened the three smaller candidates, for Billy, Oscar
and Jimmy were miniatures in size compared to Dan Jordan and Frederick
Graves.

"Do you think they are going to hurt us," asked Billy Dillon, turning to
the two larger students. "I don't want to be hurt--I like the thought of
being a fraternity man, but I don't want to go through any business that
will injure me."

"Neither do I," put in Oscar Brown. "I promised my mother--"

"It won't be well with you fellows if those chaps downstairs hear you
talking that way," cautioned Jordan, "besides the initiation is only
fun, and any of us are willing to stand jokes."

After a three-hour wait, a group of sophomores, and the freshmen's
tormentors--appeared upon the scene and ordered the candidates to follow
them into the dreaded annex. In this "torture chamber" the older
members, juniors and seniors, seated on benches placed around the wall,
were waiting gravely the arrival of their victims.

The honors of the occasion had been given into the hands of the
sophomores, and as they trailed in followed by the quaking applicants, a
hush fell over the expectant members of the society.

The five freshmen were ordered to stand in a row, and Richar