“Oh, it’s you, is it, Mr. Elder?” he said. “This is the first time I ever caught you in a scrape.” “Yes, Dan,” I answered, “and no one regrets it more than I do. If I could have had only fifteen seconds’ more start, I’ll venture to say you never would have caught me.” “Perhaps not,” he said, with a short laugh, “but here you are all the same. You’re a Junior, Mr. Elder. That’s pretty late in your college life to be out on a spree.” “I own that, Dan, and the worst of it is that I never knew there was going to be any mischief until I found myself in the midst of it――――” “Oh, I suppose not,” said Murray, with slight sarcasm. “It has been my experience always to catch the innocent men. It was always the _rest_ that were to blame. Now, since you had nothing to do with this little trouble I suppose you wouldn’t mind telling me who were the chief parties concerned, before I let you go.” I knew that he was joking, but I could not help a slight sense of resentment at this proposition. “Well, now, Dan,” I replied, “you don’t suppose that you are going to get any such information as that from me, do you? You don’t suppose that I am going to betray the others――――” “Oh, then you were one of them?” said Dan, still enjoying his little joke. “I supposed from what you said that you were only a spectator, and, somehow, got mixed up in the trouble.” “I am willing to stand my share of the responsibility,” I answered. “Well, Mr. Elder, I’m sorry you got caught. There are many worse young men in college than you, and I wish I had caught one of them instead, but as it is, I am afraid you’ll have to stand the racket.” “All right, Dan,” I answered. “I won’t say anything unless the faculty ask me to report, but I know they will, for there have been a good many college laws broken to-night――and a good many college windows, too, if I’m not mistaken. It’s pretty serious trouble all around, and I don’t think there’s any doubt but what the faculty will need you at their meeting to-morrow.” “Very well, then; I suppose I’ll have to oblige them,” I answered soberly, as I thought of the possible results of that meeting. “You can go now, Mr. Elder. I hope you’ll get off easy,” added Murray, as he took his hand from my shoulder and walked away. I started for my room, but before I had taken three steps an idea occurred to me. “Hullo, Dan!” I called after Murray’s receding figure. He stopped. “Well, what is it, Mr. Elder?” “When you are asked to report to-morrow, would you mind saying in my favor that I wore no mask?” “Hullo! So the rest wore masks, did they?” exclaimed Murray gruffly. “That won’t help matters any.” I saw the fatal mistake I had made, and I could have bitten my tongue off for speaking. I was so out of patience with myself that I turned abruptly and dashed up stairs to my room, where I threw myself on my sofa and brooded for half an hour in mortified silence.