“No—it’s the things that happened the first of the year,” said another.
“But I, for one, don’t believe that he deserved the blame he got in either of those cases,” said Hamlin boldly; “and no one can deny that he’s the best all-around scholar in the class; and as to deportment, no fellow could do more to help our record than he does.”
“He’s too much of a prig,” muttered one; while the Georgian, saying something about “convicts,” turned away and looked out of the window.
With a disappointed air, Hamlin dropped the so evidently unwelcome subject of Clark’s admission to the society, and the discussion of what should be done was resumed.
“Seems as if we might persuade a few of the Antis to come over to our side,” said Raleigh. “Some of the smaller fellows—Freeman and Vale, for instance.”
“Vale might possibly be talked over, but Freeman seems to be a hopeless case. I’ve done my best, but he’s too much in with the worst ones. I don’t think it’s any use to talk to him,” said Gordon.
“Well, let’s try Vale again. You tackle him, Gordon, and I’ll try Claflin, and the rest of you see if you can talk over anybody else,” said Hamlin.
“I wonder if it would be possible to get Bobby to divide the section, and mark the L. A. O.’s and the Antis separately,” suggested Gordon thoughtfully.
“We might talk to him about it. He’ll do anything he can to help us, I know,” said Hamlin.
For an hour the discussion was continued, but when the boys separated it was with a most uncomfortable sense of the fact that—try as they might—they never could change the reputation of section D so long as nearly half of their number were determined to do all in their power to prevent such a change.