The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-08-13
THE BLUFF FAILED.
BUT IT BROUGHT ABOUT THE DESIRED
RESULT AT LAST.


Tho College Society Chapter That Was IN
bad Repute - A Medal That Contained
an Inscription - Poker and Bottled Re-
freshments.
ut frequently happens, said COL
lege graduate, "that different chapters
Of the same Greek letter fraternity, sit
mated at different colleges, develop diff
ferent characteristics. All Of these 30
cieties, think, are organized to encour-
age literary pursuits. ! mean that's
what the constitutions say. AS a 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, the chapters that have main
tanned their literary quality come to the
lore, 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.
1.-THE chapter to which ! belonged
was located at country college, and
in 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 the case that in my junior year
there 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 60 as delegates to the conven-
tion. Another man and myself were
finally selected for this function as the
most unsophisticated looking members
of the chapter.
AS usual in such cases, a 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 the convention
city. We were among the more remote
chapters, and when we boarded the
train there was only one other delega-
tion on board, composed of three mem
bers. We sighed when we saw big boxes
Of bottled beer in the freight car and
reflected On tho elaborate instructions
we had received from our constituents.
We were primed for the occasion. My
companion, Forbes, had classical vol
um0 in each side pocket Of his coat and
there were ink stains on his fingers. l
had borrowed from classmate medal
given for scholarship, and this I had
rather ostentatiously hung on my watch
chain.
ave soon made the acquaintance OF
the other three delegates and Joined
them in their stateroom. Before long
they proposed game of poker, and one
Of them produced a pack Of cards.
Forbes said ko didn't play, retired to q
corner, pulled out COPY of Gladstone's
Landmarks of Homerio Study and
after gazing thoughtfully out of the
window for a moment or two apparently
became absorbed in it. I admired his
conception of the part, but l 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 were only three
delegates on the train to witness my
fall. said I didn't play, but had seer
the game and thought it looked inter
esting. was willing to learn.
when we got started, there was
demand for buck, and unhitched th'
scholarship medal and dropped it int
the pot as good means of calling at
tention to 1t. Everything went OF
swimmingly for awhile. / had outra
geous luck and won pot after pot, go the.
were confirmed in the idea that was
beginner. After awhile one Of the othe
delegates got away with jack pot, ant
while he was waiting for the cards t
be dealt he picked up the medal ant
glanced carelessly at the diverse side
! hadn't examined it particularly, but
found out afterward that it bore thi
neat inscription: Garrett ]. Gardner
Weymouth University, Glass of 49,
'"The delegate started and looked n
me with a glance that was first mysti
Aed and then suspicious.
"'I beg your pardon, Brother Gard
ner, he said, with touch of sarcasm
Il thought you said your name wa
Hawkins, and we've all been callin
you that right along
"There was a smothered guffaw fron
behind the Landmarks Of Homeri
Study, and l saw the jig was up. W
made clean breast Of it, and Forbe
sat into the game, making it five hand
ed, which, Of course, is the ideal game
We didn't lose any time sending fol
ward for consignment Of that bottle
beer, and the floor was strewH wit
dead Indians when the train filed u
with other delegates, and they crowde
around to watch the game.
"Our elaborate bluff hadn't worked
and the convention opened with ou
chapter in Just as bad odor as before
but we had made stanch supporters {
the three delegates and some other kint
ly spirits who had joined us on ii
train. They all went to work like bel
vers, and when our case was taken u
in the convention we had good vorl
ing majority which sustained our cha
ter with whoop. New York Sun.
ATua1 H.ya Taen Varv Rad