“Mr. Slade, are you sure of that?” he asked. “Why do you doubt it?” was the answer. “Have I ever failed before? I tell you again, notifications were sent to all the college delegates ten days ago, and you among them. I was puzzled at receiving your telegram of inquiry this morning, but supposed that you had lost the notification and forgotten the date. Do you mean to say you never received my letter?” “Never,” answered Ray. “And are you sure you did not overlook me?” “Perfectly. See, here is the proof,” and Slade opened the valise which he carried in his left hand, and, taking out his letter book, hastily turned over the pages. “I took the precaution of having those letters copied, and mailed them myself.” He pointed to the copy of a letter addressed to Ray, dated ten days before. It contained the usual notification of the meeting, and ended with Unless we hear from you to the contrary the committee will consider this date as convenient to you. Yours truly, ERNEST FITCH, Park Coll., _Prest. of the League_. W. H. SLADE, Halford Coll., _Sec. of the League_. Ray read the letter through carefully. He then said, “Mr. Slade, I owe you an apology. I was too hasty. I hope you will pardon me.” “Certainly,” answered Slade, with a smile. “You can see that the fault is not mine, and there must have been some hitch at your end of the line.” “Yes, I did you injustice,” answered Ray. We spent the evening in the reading room and about the lobby and piazza of the hotel, greeting the various delegates that had arrived from Park, Halford, and Dean Colleges, the three institutions which, with Belmont College, had made up the Berkshire League. CHAPTER VI AN INTERCEPTED LETTER Promptly at 10:30 o’clock the following morning the delegates assembled in the back parlor of the hotel, which had been reserved for the convention. The folding doors which connected it with the front parlor were closed, and the meeting was called to order by Ernest Fitch, the president of the League. The officers of the Berkshire were chosen in the following manner: at the close of each session a convention was held for the special purpose of awarding the Crimson Banner to the victorious college, and to elect officers for the succeeding year. The plan was therefore quite similar to that adopted by the several colleges in choosing the officers for their association. In the case of the League, the president was chosen from the victorious college, and the secretary from the college that held second place. Neither of these officers, however, was to be a member of the nines of the respective colleges. According to this custom, therefore, Park College had the presidency in the present season, and Halford College the secretaryship.