Whispering Tongues

, after being thrown so viciously by Van Loan; but when the college phy

's head had struck on a sharp edge of the stone p

ured man was thoroughly exhausted, and weak from loss of blood. His

le. By and by the doctor came. Parmenter gave him har

ctor, before I shall hav

se simple fractures of the clavicle are of no

een of no great consequence from the surgeon's point of view, but to him i

ition for prizes. Six competitors were selected from each class at a trial contest held about three months before Commencement.

n the following Friday; and here he was, and would be for we

m breakfast, Parmenter

ll up,

ked Lee, advancing

can't use my arm for a month, and here's

is a bad business, that's so." After a minute he added, "But your v

ith my voice? How can a man do anything with his arm in a

had been largely due to the training he had had in what is called "presen

your left arm," suggeste

only one redeeming feature about the whole business; and that is, that

to obtain the honor to the best of his ability; but the rivalry was so friendly that neither would have accepted an appointment a

is eyes down on his friend's band

do, wasn't it? Dangerous, too. Why, just th

n about my being an idiot. As it is-well, I've two years in which to ge

Did the Freshies carry sti

hey couldn't raise money enough to buy, they begged or borrowed. They're tremendously proud and j

movement caused him; but he said nothing. After a little Lee reverted to

're only a useless ornament, anyway. Why, you know-what's his name?-that great orator, you remember; he never used gestures; disd

ant to get up. Give me a lift, will you,

thout gestures, but Lee's idea struck him as worth considering, after al

arsed together, profiting by each other's friendly criticism; but now Le

uring become to him; but diligent study, persistent practice, and the judicious advice of his friendly critic helped him to overcome to a great ext

the fortunate six was posted on the bulletin board ne

urther in the list, started at a full run acro

ed, bursting into Parmente

?" asked Parm

e speaking-no right arm-great v

ight hand, and in another second w

it, man, that's my cracked shoulder!

joyful exuberance of my emotion the swelling

her hand; that's it! I thought I could convince 'em that a man can speak sometimes with h

s; these eyes that otherwise had wept most bi

dy-say, Charley, look here! What about yourself? You took an ap

of puzzled surprise on his handsome face breaking

ly, as if partly ashamed of his remissn

name! You couldn't have helped se

ee I wasn't looking

you're the best fellow in the

to his eyes. It was seldom he displayed so much emoti

see about the name of Charles Lee. It's high

t at the threshold they met Robinson, also one of the appointees, who told them tha

ing finally on Parmenter's table, from which e

en Lee had been dragged down and quieted, the conversation turned from the prize

o himself, every bit of it. Brags about it without ceasing. You couldn't touch him

f the group, "that unless he stopped his everlasting boastin

ay to that?" a

d better have a surgeon in readiness to wait on 'em when he got through with 'em. S

orgotten that mud-bath yet. He says the collar-bone business was only part payment,

s looking around the room, scanning in

believe in hazing under proper circumstan

e sti

n, "we don't want to drive you from your

and locked it, closed the ventilator over the door, and r

none but the seven who were there, and the seven wh

t under the severely repressive policy of the faculty, aided by a growing feeling among upper classmen against the barbarous and unm

that day in Parmenter's room; neither is there any doubt that it selected

form of retribution, and the most fertile in devising plans to carry it out. But a

'm half sorry I agreed to go into it. You know how st

ather know you're in it?" ask

e might find it

cessity for

as soon he knew it, as to feel g

go out. But if you do, Henderson will back out, and Brace,

s of the boys," said Lee, hesitatingl

assed all bounds, and there's no other effective way of letting him know it. We don't propose to hurt him physically, you understand, and the fellow can't be hurt men

ute, turning the matter

"I don't know; maybe I'l

instinct he yielded to the logic of his friend and th

stinct figures standing about him. He knew in an instant what it all meant; but before he could raise his head

ng on his part; then, realizing the uselessness of his

ther, and led him down stairs and out-of-doors. It was all done so quickly and

college grove. Here torches were lighted, and in single file the party marched through

dge of rocks. A brawling brook ran by it, and overarching trees helped sh

rotesque sight that he looked upon. The masks and costumes of the hazers we

e about the candidate. At their backs w

, flourishing a mighty broadsword-of

reply to certain questions, which, being satisfactorily answered, will entitle him to pose for the first degree. The f

Van Loan, wit

and illustrious order of Gamma Questers, without which honor you

onded Van L

omitted, however painful, disagreeable, or surprising the

oan s

tions with brethren so exalted as ourselves, and do you humbly implore us to overlook you

" said V

le intellect lies, to induce the president and members of the faculty of Concord College to become members hereof, and forgetting your un

was the fi

cribe, are the candidate

y of the cave. He sat under a torchlight, his black mask hideously splashed with red

e the candidate sign

, laid down his pen, and advanced

indicative of suppressed passion. Yet, burning as he was with rage, he was still calm enough to note wit

intention was, he never carried it out. In that instant, Van Loan, who had deftly slipped his hand from the b

der the glare of the torchlight, stood

n Loan's quiet comment; "no

o obey implicitly the will of the hazers while in their power, mentally reserving to himself l