The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-08-28
Ghibooaux 5entinfl.
THE BLUFF FAILED.
BUT IT BRoUGHTABoUTT THE DESIRED
RESULT AT LAST.
The College Society Chapter That Was In
Bad Repute II Medal That Contained
an Observation-Disclosures and Bottled Re-
freShments.

an Inscription Poker and Bottled Re-
freshments.
"It frequently happens,' said a col
lege graduate, THAT different chapters
of the same Greek letter fraternity, sit
uated at different colleges, develop diff
ferent characteristics. All of these So
~cieties, / think, are organized TO encour-
age literary pursuits. I mean that's
what the constitutions say. AS a mat
ter of fact, the literary element j. rath-
er lost sight of in most eases III the
stress of having a jolly good time.
When convention time comes round,
however, the chapters that have main
tanned their literary quality ZONE 70 the
fore, and the others have to put up q
bluff by sending as delegates men who
have high standing as scholars Or else
take a very back seat.
s'The chapter to which I belonged
was located at q country college, ana
in some way CT other it had acquired a
reputation in the fraternity Of being es-
~sentially nonliterary, and, i'll fact, rath-
er sporty in character. This vas so
much the case that IN my junior year
there was a movement on foot to expel
or suspend CUR chapter from the frater-
nifty. We weren't very strong in high
stand men and couldn't even scare up
two to 90 rs delegates to the conven-
ton. Another man and myself were
finally selected fer this function as the
most unaophisticaJed looking members
of the chapter.
"As usual in such cases, q special
train w2s made Up 70 start from the
westornmost chapter and to pick up a.
many Of the ether delegations as could
be arranged on its way to the convention
city. We were anon. the more remote
chapters, ana VIXEN we boarded the
train there was only one other Gelega-
ton on board, composed CT three mem
bers. We signed when we saw big boxes
of bottled beer III the freight car and
reflected On the elaborate instructions
we had received from our constituents.
We were prined for the occasion. Ny
companion, Forbes, had a classical vol
une III each side pocket Of Lis coat and
there were ink stains on his fingers. I
had borrowed from a classmate a medal
given for scholarship, and this I had
rather oste1tatiously hung or my watch
chain.
ave eoon made TIE acquaintance CT
the other three delegates and joined
them in their stateroon. Before long
they proposed a game Of poker, and Il
of them produced a pack Of cards.
Forbes said be didn't play, retired to d
corner, pulled out a copy OF Gl~adstone's
Landmarks of Homerie Study and
after gazing thoughtfully ont Of the
window for a moment CIR two apparently
became absorbed in it. I admired his
conception OF the part, but | couldn't
bring myself to break up the game, and
that's what it meant, for everybody
knows there's no fun in three handes
poker. Besides, there We're only three
delegates Gu the train to witness my
fall. said didn'5 play, but had seen
the game and thorght it looked inter
esting. I was willing Il learn.
when we got started, there was a
demand fox back, and | unhitched tho
scholarship medal aid dropped it into
the pot as Il good means of calling at
tention to it. Lvcrything went Oh
swimmingly for awhile. | had outra-
geous luck and won pot after pot, SO tte-
were confirmed III tire idea that [ We Z
beginner. After awhile one Of the other
delegates got sway with a jack pot, and
while lie was waiting for the cards to
be dealt he picked up the medal and
glanced carelasslv at the diverse side.
! hadn't examined it particularly, but I
found opt afterward that it bore this
neat inscription: Garrett j. Gardner,
Weymouth University, Glass of 81
1.-THE delegate started and locked &c
me with q glance that was first mysti-
fed and then suspicious.
81 beg your pardon, Brother Gard
ner,' he said, with Il touch of sarcasm.
1 thought you said your name was
Hawkins, and we've ali been calling
you that right along
"TheTe was Il smethered guffaw from
behind tic Landmarks Of Homeric
Study, and | saw the jig was up. We
made q clean breast Of it, and Forbes
sat into the game, maAinglit five hand
ed, which, CT cou1se, j. thy ideal game.
We didn't lose any time sending for
ward for a consignment Of that bottled
beer. and the floor was strewn with
dead Indians when the train filed Up
with other delegates, and they crowded
around to watch the game.
"Our elaborate bluff hadn't worked.
and the convention opened with cur
chapter in just as bad odor as before,
but we had made stanch supporters of
the three delegates and some other kind