Geoffrey's victory;

by Mrs. Georgie Sheldon

Several days went by, and Geoffrey heard nothing more either of or from the sophomores who had attempted to haze him.

Neither did he happen to meet any of them on his way to or from his recitations, and he hoped that the occurrence would gradually be forgotten and occasion no more trouble.

He did not mention it to any one, and he bore none of the actors any ill-will, for he well knew that hazing had been an established custom in many colleges, and that every freshman was liable to be subjected to the ordeal.

But the affair was destined to be more serious, eventually, than he imagined an occurrence of that kind could ever become.

Young Mapleson realized, as soon as his passion began to cool somewhat, that he should be obliged to relinquish all thoughts of retaliation for a season, for none of his comrades would bear him out in any plan for revenge; but he vowed in his heart that there should yet come a day of reckoning between himself and Huntress for the indignity to which he had been subjected before his companions.

He was furious with them for not having come to his release, and he raved over the affair all the way back to his room after leaving Geoffrey’s.

But they made light of it, and tried to pass the whole thing off as a joke. This only enraged him the more, although he began to see the wisdom of keeping still about it, since he could get no sympathy from them.

There is no telling what rash act he might not have committed if he had been allowed to go and come as usual while this fierce mood lasted. But he had wrought himself into an excessive perspiration, and then going out into the chill night air afterward, he had taken a violent cold, and for three weeks he was confined to his room with a threatened fever.

At the end of that time, although his anger had not abated one whit toward Geoffrey, and he was no less determined to have his revenge, he had come to see the wisdom of refraining from all rashness which might rebound injuriously upon himself, and he resolved to conceal his purpose in his own breast and watch his opportunity to strike his foe down at some time in the future, when the blow would be felt with bitter force.

So, upon recovering his usual health, he resumed his studies and his intercourse with his fellow-students as if nothing had occurred to ruffle him, and those who had participated in the hazing of Geoffrey Huntress imagined that the unpleasant affair had blown safely over and become a thing of the past.