"You've got to make up your mind in a hurry," Allen urged. "Promise me now that you'll leave the clubs alone, then I can handle Mr. Wandel." "You're dickering with him?" George asked, quickly. "No. Mr. Wandel is trying to dicker with me." But George couldn't make up his mind. There were other problems as critical as the clubs. Could he afford to fight Dick Goodhue for that high office? If only he could find out what the Goodhue crowd thought of him! He had an opportunity to learn one evening, and conquered a passionate desire to eavesdrop. As he ran lightly up the stairs to his room he heard through the open study door Wandel and Goodhue talking with an unaccustomed heat. "You can't take such an attitude," Wandel was saying. "I've taken it." "Change your mind," Wandel urged. "I've nursed him along as the only possible tie between two otherwise irreconcilable elements of the class. I tell you I can't put you over unless you come to your senses." George hurried in and nodded. From their faces he gathered there had been a fair row. Wandel grasped his arm. George stiffened. Something was coming now. It wasn't quite what he had expected. "How would you like," Wandel said, "to be the very distinguished secretary of your class?" George gazed from the window at the tree-bordered lawns where lesser men contentedly kicked footballs to each other. "It ought to be what the class likes," he muttered. "I'm really only interested in seeing Dicky re-elected." "If," Wandel said, "I told you it couldn't be done without your distinguished and untrammelled name on the ticket?" George flushed. "What do you mean by untrammelled?" "You stop that, Spike," Goodhue said, more disturbed than George had ever seen him. "It's indecent. I won't have it." George relaxed. Untrammelled had certainly meant free from the taint of the clubs. He was grateful Goodhue had interfered. "Why don't you run for something yourself, Mr. Wandel?" he asked, dryly. Goodhue laughed. "Carry your filthy politics somewhere else." He and George, with an affectation of good nature, pushed Wandel out of the room. They looked at each other. Neither said anything. George had to call upon his will to keep his attention on his books that night. In return for Allen's support for Goodhue Wandel wanted to give Allen for a minor place on the ticket a poor man untrammelled by the clubs. The realization angered George. Aside from any other consideration he couldn't permit himself to be bartered about to save any one--even Goodhue. But was Goodhue trying to spare him at a sacrifice? George, with a vast relief, decided that that was so when Goodhue mentioned casually one day that he was a certainty for the club. "Don't say anything about it," he advised. "The upper classmen have been getting a few of us together. I'm glad you're among us. We'll elect the full section later." "Of course I came here a stranger," George began, trying to hide his pleasure.