Meanwhile the 'varsity nine was kept busy at practice or with league and other games. Word came that both the Boxer and Fairview nines had greatly improved, chiefly by shifting their players about, and the Randall coach and captain wore serious looks as they "sized up" the work of the Randall team. There came a contest with Fairview Institute on the Randall diamond. It was a "hot" game and Fairview won. There was anguish of heart among the Randall students and it was not assuaged when, the next week, Boxer, playing on the Randall grounds, took away a game with them, the score being 8 to 2. "Two drubbings in two successive weeks," exclaimed Kindlings. "What are we going to do?" "One thing we've got to do is to improve in pitching," declared the coach, and when some one brought word of this to Tom his heart, that had been heavy during the two weeks of suspension, grew lighter. "Maybe I'll get a chance," he said to Sid. "It would make up for everything if I did." "No one wants to see you in the box any more than I do, old chap," spoke Sid fervently. CHAPTER XXIII AT THE DANCE It was the night of the junior dance, an annual affair second only in importance to commencement and a function attended, as Holly Cross used to say, "by all the beauty and chivalry of Haddonfield and all points north, south, east and west." On this occasion all strictly partisan college feelings were laid aside. Forgotten were the grudges engendered by hazings or the rivalries of the field. It was an evening devoted to pleasure, and, on the part of the juniors at least, to seeing that their girl friends and acquaintances danced to their hearts' content. "Tom," cried Sid as they were dressing in their room, "does this dress suit seem to fit?" "Well, it might be a little larger across the shoulders," was Tom's answer as he turned around from an attempt to get his tie just right and surveyed his chum. "That's what I thought. I'm outgrowing it. I'm afraid it will split when I'm dancing, and I'll be a pretty sight, won't I? I'll disgrace the girl. Hang it all, I hate a dress suit. I always remind myself of some new specimen of a bug, and I think some entomological professor will come along, run a pin through me and impale me on a cork. In fact I'd just as soon he would as to go through this agony again." "Nonsense. You'll enjoy it," ventured Tom. "Maybe--after it's all over." But he managed somehow to wiggle himself into the garments and then, having asked a girl to the affair, he set off after her in a coach he had hired. Tom had not invited any one, but he heard that Miss Tyler was to be there and from the same source of information he knew that Langridge was to escort her. "In which case," reflected Tom, "I shall probably not have a chance to dance with her."