T was a jolly crowd that gathered in the parlor at the
j"Willows," the home of my cousin. There were four
college boys, the hostess and her friend Miss Lucas.
Perhaps the jolliest of the crowd was Dicky Howard, a Sen
ior at Western Maryland. He was a rather diminutive
specimen of humanity, but possessed of an appetite out of
all proportion to his size. His love for cake was so great
that the mere mention of the name would wake him out of a
sound sleep. Miss Lucas suggested telling college stories,
and my cousin promised Dick a generous slice of chocolate
cake to tell one.
"I'll tell you what," he said, "I'll tell a story, and any
one interrupting me will be fined a half a slice of cake. Of
course said fine shall be remitted to myself, for my—"
"I object," broke in Danzer, a Princeton man, "the fine
should go to the fund for the relief of the suffering Armen-
ians. "
"Oh, do hurry up and tell the story," said my cousin.
"Well," he began, "you know it is the custom down
there for the Freshmen to burn the Sophomore class in
effigy—if they can. They must pinch a coat, hat, pair of
trousers, and shoes worn by a Sophomore class officer, stuff
them with straw and burn the figure on the ball field.
The "Sophs" naturally take good care of such property and
the Freshmen have their own troubles getting the desired
articles."
"During my second year there I roomed ou the third
floor, Sophomore Hall. Directly under was the room occu
pied by Lecrone, the class treasurer,. and under my window
was the entrance to the President's office.
"One night during the third term Grady, my roommate,
and 1 were pooling Greek like good fellows, when we heard