Shortly after eleven Carl came in and threw himself wearily into a chair. For a few minutes neither boy said anything; they stared into the fire and frowned. Finally Carl spoke. "I can go Alpha Sig if I want," he said softly. Hugh looked up. "Good!" he exclaimed, honestly pleased. "But I hope we can both go Nu Delt. Did they come right out and bid you?" "Er--no. Not exactly. It's kinda funny." Carl obviously wanted to tell something and didn't know how to go about it. "What do you mean 'funny'? What happened?" Carl shifted around in his chair nervously, filled his pipe, lighted it, and then forgot to smoke. "Well," he began slowly, "Morton--you know that Alpha Sig, Clem Morton, the senior--well, he got me off into a corner to-night and talked to me quite a while, shot me a heavy line of dope. At first I didn't get him at all. He was talking about how they needed new living-room furniture and that sort of thing. Finally I got him. It's like this--well, it's this way: they need money. Oh, hell! Hugh, don't you see? They want money--and they know I've got it. All I've got to do is to let them know that I'll make the chapter a present of a thousand or two after initiation--and I can be an Alpha Sig." Hugh was sitting tensely erect and staring at Carl dazedly. "You mean," he asked slowly, "that they want you to buy your way in?" Carl gave a short, hard laugh. "Well, nobody said anything vulgar like that, Hugh, but you've got the big idea." "The dirty pups! The goddamn stinkers! I hope you told Morton to go straight to hell." Hugh jumped up and stood over Carl excitedly. "Keep your shirt on, Hugh. No, I didn't tell him to go to hell. I didn't say anything, but I know that all I've got to do to get an Alpha Sig bid to-morrow night is to let Morton know that I'd like to make the chapter a present. And I'm not sure--but I think maybe I'll do it." "What!" Hugh cried. "You wouldn't, Carl! You know damn well you wouldn't." He was almost pleading. "Hey, quit yelling and sit down." He got up, shoved Hugh back into his chair, and then sat down again. "I want to make one of the Big Three; I've got to. I don't believe that either Nu Delt or Kappa Zete is going to bid me. See? This is my only chance--and I think that I'm going to take it." He spoke deliberately, staring pensively into the fire. "I don't see how you can even think of such a thing," Hugh said in painful wonderment. "Why, I'd rather never join a fraternity than buy myself into one." "You aren't me." "No, I'm not you. Listen, Carl." Hugh turned in his chair and faced Carl, who kept his eyes on the dying fire. "I'm going to say something awfully mean, but I hope you won't get mad.... You remember you told me once that you weren't a gentleman. I didn't believe you, but if you buy yourself into that--that bunch of--of gutter-pups, I'll--I'll--oh, hell, Carl, I'll have to believe it." He was painfully embarrassed, very much in earnest, and dreadfully unhappy.