The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-06-24

an expostulatory manner. then not at all
Finally, with the gesture Of one who throws
hi, character to the winds. he yielded. and,
with looks of balsful excitement shining in
the professors eyes. the two men each took
an arm OF the boy and led him swiftly and
in silence into the barn. .
When the members who had started out
with the freshman returned to the fra
| ternity hail and reported their loss. there
| was wild excitement. They explained volu-
bly, how they had placed the freshman in
the old arbor, because the streets happened
to have people on them at the time. EVIL
IDENTIFY returning from some dance: how
they themselves had kept watch At the end
Of the lot until all the people had passed.
and how. just as they were about to return
for the freshman. they had seen two per-
sons leading him into a barn, which proved
TO belong to the president Of the university.
WAS it the president himself?' was
asked.
The two Members didn't know. 1t might
have been. but they thought not. Possibly
1t was the presidents niggers.
Why then had not the conductors at.
tackled the nisgers. and released the fresh.
man? was angrily demanded on all sides.
This being a reflection on the courage Of
the gentlemen addressed. they assumed IN
air of digniaed hauteur. and answered fol-
lowing questions in a distant manner. In
reality a wholesome fear of detection had
kept them from making any such attempt.
After a half-hour's heated debate. 1t was
finally decided that a posse should proceed
TO the neighborhood where the freshman
had disappeared to see what could be done.
II the freshman's captors were minions Of
the president. who were keeping him In dur.
ance till the president awoke next morning.
a rescue might be effected by bribery or
otherwise. They had just arrived at this
determination when there was a peremptory
knoc'- at the door.
The Gamma Deltas looked at one another
In a startled fashion.
We're all here. but wasn't that the fra
ternity knock asked some one.
Again came the rappins. this time unmis.
takably the knock of the fraternity. The
man nearest the door rose and opened 1t.
There on the threshold stood the freshman.
still blindfolded as they had left him, with
q placard On his breast bearing the printed
inscription --latest Sub Rosa Initiate Of
Gamma Delta"
Forgetful of the ritual. they jerked OF his
blind. all questioning the bewildered boy
al once FOR some moments ne DID not
grasp the situation. and when he finally ex-
planned all that he knew. he threw little
light on the subject. All that his hearers
could gather was that some person or per-
sons had initiated him strictly in accordance
with the ritual. except that he had been
kept blinGfolded while the password. the
grip and the fraternity rap had been given
him. Then he had been conducted to the
hall door by some one who had twice given
the fraternity knock and departed hurriedly.
His tale of how certain portions OF the
were conducted was received with
silent incredulity by his audience. and his
description of wild flights through space
and of a gigantic figure of death which ap-
peared when the bandage was removed from
his eyes for an instant. earned him an I'M
deserved reputation of being a most OUT
rageous liar. As he knew all the formula.
however. there was nothing for 1t but to re-
ceive him as a full-ledged member OF the
fraternity, which was accordingly done.
To this day the members of the Gamma
Delta Fraternity believe that some OF their
alumni who knew of the initiation had
played a trick upon them and stolen he
candidate. leading him through the Doctors
premises to conceal their own identity. The
1 unaniuity with which the alumni denied
this only seemed to strengthen the impress
sion. As for suspecting their reverend fra.
ternity brother, the president, no one
, thought Of such a thing.
/ In common with other fraternities. there
fore, they regarded 1t merely as a proof OF
the doctors admiration for Greek letter
societies. that at the next meeting Of the
cura,ors he succeeded by great efforts In
having fraternities reinstated In tbs uni
versisy. FL b. wATERWORTH.