She sleeps, my lady sleeps.”
This was another of the old-time college songs, seldom heard at Yale in these modern days, but the music of Merriwell’s voice, and the mellowing influence of the punch, moved one of the freshmen to tears.
“’S great!” murmured Billings, getting his arm about Frank’s neck and seeming to sob. “Merriwell, you’re a brick! Give fi’ hundred dollarsh ’f I could shing shame’s you can.”
“Make it something lively next time,” urged Irving Nash.
“Do!” cried several. “Give us something so we can come in on the chorus and bear down heavy.”
Bink Stubbs started to sing “Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay,” but that had seen its day and Bink came near getting himself killed.
“That’s all right, gentlemen,” he said, from his retreat behind the bed. “I didn’t mean any offense, and I beg your pardon, as the convict said when the governor passed his cell.”
“You are lucky to escape with your life,” said Rattleton. “Sing something late and catchy, Merry.”
Frank struck into one of the popular songs of the day, and the fellows all “made a stagger at it.”
As Diamond afterward declared, it was something awful.