Harry Watson's High School Days Part 11

And after calling upon one after another of the members of the cla.s.s only to have them answer "Not prepared," old Grouch dismissed the cla.s.s in disgust.

CHAPTER XII-PLEDGED TO THE PI ETAS

Although the majority of the scholars in the Rivertown High School lived in Rivertown, there were a goodly number who came from adjacent villages, and for the benefit of these, as well as to give a greater school life to those who lived at home, the trustees of the high school had sanctioned the use of several halls as society rooms.

Thus the girls had two for their exclusive use, the Gamma Gammas and the Lambda Nus; and the boys three, the Kappa Phis, the senior society, the Psi Mus, to which only juniors were eligible, and the Pi Etas, nicknamed the Pie Eaters by the upper cla.s.smen, composed chiefly of soph.o.m.ores, although such of the freshmen as were not too crude were admitted to members.h.i.+p.

For several days after Harry's encounter with the Latin professor, he was discussed by the boys at the head of the Pi Etas, and, after deciding that he was eligible, the members began to rush him, inviting him around to the club room, to their homes, their skating and dancing parties.

Elmer and Socker, as well as Paul and Jerry, belonged to the Greek letter society, and the proposal to take Harry into the folds of the Pi Eta met with a vigorous opposition from the former pair. Sufficient were there of the sophs, however, who believed that, with a little rubbing off of the rough edges, Harry would be a desirable member of their crowd, to out-vote them, and in due course a committee was selected to pledge him.

But when Harry was approached, he exhibited no great enthusiasm.

Fortunately, however, Paul and Jerry were members of the committee and, after the full body had sounded him, they remained at his aunt's house with him.

"What's wrong? Don't you like the crowd?" asked Jerry.

"You bet I do! It isn't that." And then our hero paused, blus.h.i.+ng, finally continuing:

"I might as well tell you fellows, because it will save a lot of unpleasantness for me. I can't afford to do the things the rest of you fellows can."

At this frank announcement, Paul and Jerry looked at one another in dismay, for neither of them knew exactly how to answer, and moreover, it was confirmation of their belief that Harry's refusal to go on the sleigh ride was because of his lack of funds.

As the pause that ensued after the statement became embarra.s.sing, Jerry took the bit in his teeth.

"There's practically no expense, Harry. No initiation fees, or anything like that. All we have to do is to pay for the light and heat. The school pays the rent, that is, they say they do, though none of the rooms or halls of Rivertown societies have cost a penny, for they're given by people who own the property. My a.s.sessment, so far, this year has been seventy-five cents. You know there are fifty Pi Etas and the expenses for the rest of the year, with Spring coming before long, will be still less, and we want you to be one of the bunch,-honestly, we do.

It means no end of fun next year, the Psi Mu surely for junior and the Kappa Phi for senior year."

A lot of other things Jerry and Paul told our hero, and by the time they had finished talking to him, he had fully come to the conclusion that he would get the money to pay his dues in some manner, and he signified his delight at the prospect of joining the society.

"Good boy!" chorused his chums. "Just stay in your room to-night. As your superiors in the Pi Eta we command you to."

And hitting the boy such powerful whacks on his back that is seemed to him his teeth would fall out, Paul and Jerry left him. Descending the stairs, they bade Mrs. Watson a significantly courteous "good night" and hurried back to the society room to carry the tidings of Harry's acceptance to their waiting fellows.

With an understanding of what the call of all the boys upon her nephew meant that would have done credit to a father, Harry's aunt went to her desk, took out a sheet of paper, and wrote:

"My Dear Boy:

"I hope you find this of use, and it affords me more pleasure to be able to give it to you than it can you to receive it.

"Lovingly, Aunt Mary.

"P. S.-If anything should ever happen that you should get into a little sc.r.a.pe, I want you to feel that you can come to me. Tell me all about it instead of going to an outsider. I shall be able to help you."

And enclosing a five dollar bill, she put it into an envelope and biding her time until Harry came downstairs, slipped up to his room and placed it on his study table where he would be sure to find it.

Wonder as to what his instructions to remain in the house meant filled Harry with an alternating succession of vague misgiving and delight, and appreciating his mood, his aunt humored him during supper, refraining from pressing him with any awkward questions as to his unusual nervousness.

When he finished supper, Harry stayed around downstairs till he heard the sound of voices out in the street in front of the house. As they drew nearer and nearer, it became evident that they were chanting.

"Mercy! What can that be? It sounds like a funeral dirge!" exclaimed Mrs. Watson, simulating an ignorance of the familiar song by which the Pi Etas announced their descent upon a prospective victim to their initiation, though she had heard it numberless times before, when the members of the society in years gone by had pa.s.sed through the street in quest of their victims.

The blood mounting to his face, Harry listened a moment, then ran up to his room, grabbed up his Caesar, dropped into a chair and vainly strove to concentrate his mind upon the text before him.

Once only in a life-time does the indescribable thrill grip the heart of a boy who realizes that he has been found fit by the most critical jury in the world, his fellow students, to become a member of one of their secret societies-and in the ecstasy of his happiness Harry never noticed that his book was upside down.

CHAPTER XIII-A SERIOUS CHARGE

As the measured tread of the steps of the students marching in military time rang out on the porch, Harry could not restrain his feelings, and jumped to his feet, pacing excitedly up and down his room.

For moments that seemed eternal after the sound of the tramping came, he listened for the peremptory knock.

At last it came, and as it rang out, with significance the boy could never forget, his heart almost stopped beating-then he was dully aware that his aunt had gone to the door and opened it. He heard the sound of excited voices, then it seemed as though there were a mighty crash against the door of his room, in rushed several of the boys whom he knew, seized him, tossed him to their shoulders and started down the stairs, not a word having been spoken. But as he gained the outside door, the boys a.s.sembled in the yard broke into a chant of triumph, and with the new student still borne aloft, they retraced their steps down the street, the rhythm of their song growing in its delirium until they reached their society room.

But once Harry was inside the sacred precincts, guarded by the four plastered walls, he was no longer the good fellow sought by his schoolmates, but the victim of initiation-and before he had performed all the stunts which were put up to him, it was early in the morning.

And when he made his way to his aunt's house, it was not the carefree boy who had been borne forth on the shoulders of his friends, but a youth, bedraggled, and with a more proper appreciation of his utter insignificance in the scheme of life.

Proud to think that her nephew had been picked out for one of the members of the secret society, Mrs. Watson sat up, with the purpose of welcoming him when he returned home. But as hour after hour went by without his appearing, after the manner of a woman, she began to fear that some harm had befallen him. Accordingly, when at last she heard his halting footsteps on the porch, she threw open the door, and greeted him fondly.

But Harry was so used up that he failed to appreciate the tenderness of the caress, and, realizing the fact, his aunt sent him to bed with the injunction to sleep as late in the morning as he pleased.

Sore, indeed, was Harry when he awoke the next morning, but as he noted the glance cast at him by the other fellows pa.s.sing on the way to school, glances in which there was a certain amount of envy, he began to forget the ache and pain, caused by the anything but gentle thumps he had received during his initiation, and by the time he had reached the schoolhouse, he was quite his natural self.

But though the boy was in exuberant spirits, it did not take him long to realize that a depression had fallen upon his society mates, and he lost no time in trying to learn the cause.

"What is it?" he asked Paul and Jerry, as they came toward him.

"It's fierce, that's what it is," returned Jerry.

"But why don't you tell me what it is?"

"Because n.o.body knows _exactly_," a.s.serted Paul.

"We'll know, though, just as soon as chapel's over," announced Jerry, in a voice so doleful, that the last vestige of Harry's enthusiasm vanished.

Not far into the school grounds had Harry and his companions proceeded, before the boy had found that the gloom shared by his society brothers was reflected in all whom he met, and though he nodded to such of the boys and girls as he knew, when there was any response at all, it was merely perfunctory.

"Sort of a dismal morning to hand out to a new Pi Eta, what?" exclaimed Misery.

But Harry had become too imbued with the spirit of disaster to make any reply, and as he took his seat in the chapel, he was as anxious-eyed as any of the others.