The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-08-08


BAD Reputo = A Medal That Contained
an Inscription-Pokor and Bottled Re.
freshments.
1T frequently happens" said col
lege graduate, "that different chapters
Of the same Greek letter fraternity, sit
uated ut different colleges, develop diff
ferent characteristics. All of these So
cieties, I think. are organized to encour-
age literary pursuits. mean that's
what the constitutions say. As mat
ter OF fact, the literary element Is rath-
er lost sight Of in most cases in the
stress Of having jolly good time.
When convention time comes round,
however, tho chapters that have MAIN
tanned their literary quality come to the
fore, and the others have to put up
bluff by sending as delegates men who
haye high standing as scholars or else
taEe very back seat.
1.-The chapter to which I belonged
was located at q country college. and
i'll some way Or other it had acquired
reputation in the fraternity Of being es-
sentially nonliterary, and, in fact, rath-
er sporty in character This was so
much tho case that in my junior year
thoro was movement ON foot to expel
or suspend our chapter from the frater-
nifty. We weren't very strong in high
stand men and couldn't even scare up
two to go as delegates to the conven-
ton. Another man and myself were
finally selected for this function as the
most unsophisticated looking members
of tho chapter.
AS usual i'll such cases, special
train was made up to start from the
westernmost chapter and to pick up as
many Of the other delegations as could
be arranged OH its way to tho convention
city. We were among the more remote
chapters, and when wo boarded the
train there was only ono other delega-
ton OH board, composed of three mem
bers. Wo sighed when we saw big boxes
of bottled beer i'll tho freight car and
reflected Oh the elaborate instructions
we had received from our constituents.
We were primcd for tho occasion. My
companion, Forbes. had classical vol
umo i'll each side pocket of his coat and
there were ink stains on his fingers.
had borrowed from n classmate medal
given for scholarship, and this 1 had
rather ostentatiously hung Oh my watch
chain.
I'VE soon made the acquaintance of
the other three delegates and Joined
them i'll their stateroom. Before long
they proposed a game of poker, and one
OF them produced pack of cards.
Forbes said no didn't play, retired to
corner. pulled out copy of Gladstone's
Landmarks of Homeric Study and
after gazing thoughtfully ont of the
window for moment or 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 handed
poker Besides, there wero only three
delegates Oh the train to witness my
fall. said didn't play, but had seen
the gamo and thought it looked inter
estlng. was willing to learn.
When we got started, there was q
demand for a buck, and l unhitched tho
scholarship medal and dropped it into
the pot as good means of calling at
tention to it. Everything went Oh
swimmingly for awhile 1 had outra-
geous luck and won pot after pot so they
wero confirmed i'll the idea that l was q
beginner. After awhile ono of the other
delegates got away with il jack pot, and
while he was waiting for the cards to
be dealt he picked up the medal and
glanced carelessly at tho diverse side.
hadn't examined it particularly, but 7
found out afterward that it bore this
neat inscription: Garrett J. Gardner,
Weymouth University, Glass of 81
The delegate started and looked Mt
me with glance that was first mysti-
fled and then suspicious
beg your pardon, Brother Gard
ner, no said, with touch of sarcasm.
l thought you said your name was
Hawkins, and we've all been calling
you that right along
There was smothered guffaw from
behind the Landmarks of Homeric
Study and saw the jig was up. We
mado clean breast of it, and Forbes
sat into the game, making it five hand
ca, which, OF course, is the ideal game
We didn't loso any time sending for
ward for consignment of that bottled
beer, and tho floor was strewn with
oeau Indians when the train filled up
with other delegates, and they crowded
around to watch the game.
Our elaborate bluff hadn't worked,
and the convention opened with our
chapter i'll just as bad odor rs before,
but we had made stanch supporters of
the three delegates and some other kind
~ spirits who had joined us on tho
tram They all went to work like bea-
vers, and when our case was taken up
in the convention we had good work
ing majority which sustained our char
for wi th n wi