“I think he will be here in a few minutes,” I answered. “I saw him shortly before I met you and he said he would be on hand promptly.” We had scarcely seated ourselves when Tony entered, whistling a popular tune with all the strength and fervor, and about as much expression as a fog horn. The whistle stopped short when Tony saw our faces, and judged correctly from our expressions that something unusual had happened. I described in a few words the scene that had taken place down stairs. “Why, the rascally scamp!” exclaimed Tony when I had finished. “You ought to expose him before the whole college.” “No, no,” interrupted Ray. “What could we gain by that? We could scarcely make Howard more unpopular than he is now, and, besides, granted that we could, I don’t believe in that sort of revenge. I would rather let the matter rest just as it is, and I wish neither of you would say anything about it.” “But I think we ought to expose him for the protection of the rest of the college, so that all the fellows may know what a thief he is,” urged Tony. “Now that is just where you make the mistake, Tony,” said Ray. “You would do Howard a great injustice, for you would spread the impression that he was a regular thief, while my belief is that his purpose was simply to prevent my getting that letter, and his act was prompted not by dishonest inclinations so much as a feeling of enmity against me.” Tony was not satisfied on the point, however; nor was I, in fact, but as Ray urged us, we agreed to say nothing about the matter, although we felt that Wendell was acting with entirely too much generosity. “And now,” said Ray, drawing his chair up to the desk and taking up pen and paper, “let us get to work at these baseball candidates. Suppose each of you take a sheet of paper and write down the names of, say, twenty-five of the men you think to be the most likely competitors for places on the nine. Then we will compare our lists, and if we find that we have agreed upon twenty men we will post their names in the gymnasium and on the bulletin board in Burke Hall, with a formal request that they present themselves without delay if they desire to compete for the vacant positions.” “And how about the others?” I asked. “Do you suppose there will be any offense taken by any one at being excluded from the competition?” Ray thought a moment. Then he said,