“You got off easily, if you want to know it,” said Bert. “Two weeks isn’t anything. Usually it’s a month at least. The only thing that saved you from getting it harder was that faculty is up in the air about last night’s rumpus. It has a sort of an idea that a lot of things went on it doesn’t know about and that if justice was done half the school would be on pro.”
“They’re always easier with a new fellow,” said Guy. “Two weeks will soon pass, Hugh. Take my advice, though, and try for B’s in everything. That always makes them happy and they’ll let you off easy.”
“B’s?” exclaimed Bert. “Why B’s? Hugh gets an A-minus in about everything now! By the way, fellows, Jimmy’s been pussy-footing it all over school today trying to find out what really happened last night. He cornered me in lower hall after French this morning and said he had heard the juniors had held a very successful meeting. You know the way he smiles when he wants to—to lull your suspicions?”
“Wow!” applauded Nick. “That’s langwidge!”
“So I said yes, I’d heard they had. And then he asked: ‘You—ah—you weren’t present then yourself, Winslow?’ And I said no, I didn’t think the juniors allowed any of the other class fellows at their meeting. Innocent, I was. So he said, ‘H’m, yes, very true, Winslow,’ and I beat it. What gets me is that they didn’t hear the racket and come out. I suppose, though, they thought it was the usual rumpus.”
“There are some mighty funny-looking faces around today,” observed Pop. “Phillips couldn’t see at all out of one eye, and——”
“Phillips isn’t anything,” cut in Nick. “You should see Downer! He’s positively disreputable! I told him so, too. Told him he oughtn’t to appear among gentlemen looking as he did. He was quite short-tempered about it.”
“I wonder if they’ll do anything,” pondered Bert.
“Someone said he’d heard they were going to stop junior meeting after this,” replied Guy. “It would be a good thing if they did. Such behavior is most—er—reprehensible.”