"Yes; but, confound it all," said Gordon, "are we going to be dictated to by these outhouse potentates? The Stoics is more a School House society than anything else; and, what's more, it is going to remain so. These outhouse men can come or go if they want to. It does not matter to us. Let us read this play with a School House cast, carry the thing through somehow, and show these fools like Christy what we think of them. Now is our chance of proving our independence."
"Won't there be a hell of a row, though?" said Betteridge reluctantly.
"What if there is, man?" said Gordon. "We can't help that. Somehow or other that play is going to be read. Let this evening be a symbol of the House's attitude. These houses have flung down the glove. They beat our forwards when we win matches, and they try and stop our meetings. Damn it, we'll pick up the glove!"
"Yes," shouted Gordon, "and fling it in their snivelling faces."
Betteridge drew up a huge notice of the meeting after hall and posted it on the school board. It ran as follows:
In spite of the fact that many of the usual readers will be prevented from attending the Second Meeting of the Stoics this term, the Society will read, at seven-thirty, in the School House Reading Room,
THE YOUNGER GENERATION
By Stanley Houghton
Cast ....
(Signed) C.P. Betteridge.