“I am requested to announce,” he said when quiet had been secured, “that the total amount of the pledges is three hundred and eighty-eight dollars and fifty cents.”
What more he had to say, if anything, was prevented by the noise of scraping chairs, shuffling feet and excited voices, indignant, laughing, triumphant as the case might be. The meeting came to an abrupt close, but the echo of it lasted for many days. Meanwhile Hansel and Phin had won the first skirmish.
“Dana:--Try and drop in to see me for a few minutes between seven and eight this evening. I am asking Dorr also.
Hansel found this note in the rack the next forenoon. Coming out of Academy Three after a geometry recitation at twelve, he ran into Phin and the two walked over to Hansel’s room together and discussed the events of the evening before and the meaning of Mr. Ames’s summons.
“He probably sent my note to the house,” said Phin thoughtfully. “I wonder whether he’s for or against us. Perhaps Bert and his crowd have asked him to call us down. Well----”
“O Phin!” called a fellow across the campus. “Folsom asked me to tell you he wanted you to come up to his room this afternoon.”
“All right, Billy; much obliged. Harry’s probably a bit excited,” continued Phin grimly. “I hope it won’t make him worse.”
Hansel was inclined to be elated over last evening’s skirmish, but Phin rather discouraged him.
“I don’t believe a fourth of the fellows cared a rap for the principle of the thing,” he said. “But they liked to see a fuss and were glad of an excuse for not pledging money.”
“But there was only about four hundred dollars pledged,” answered Hansel. “Surely that won’t be enough to pay the expenses of the team and Cameron’s tuition for the rest of the year.”
“No, it won’t, I guess; I don’t believe they’ll be able to afford to hand over ninety dollars of it to him. But it doesn’t help us much just at present, for Cameron’s tuition is paid up to Christmas; even if he has to get out then, he can play football all he wants to meanwhile.”
“That’s so,” said Hansel ruefully. “I had forgotten that.”
“It may keep him from coming back next year, though. And that’s what I had in mind when I decided to start things going last night. It didn’t enter my head until after the meeting had been called to order. Then it dawned on me that here was a chance too good to waste. I was afraid you wouldn’t understand what was wanted, though, when I’d read that ‘team expense’ item. But you did. By the way, we’ve got one new convert, anyway. Spring was down to see me this morning before I was through breakfast. You know he’s editor of _The Record_, and he says he’s going to write a hot editorial for the next issue, which comes out next week. I told him to go ahead, but I don’t believe it will amount to much.”