“Mr. President,” interrupted Tony, “may I have one moment? I have no baseball business to bring before the meeting, but I have received today a letter which is addressed to the ‘students of Belmont College,’ so I presume that this is the time and place to read it. Am I in order?”
Ray nodded.
“It is from Park College,” added Tony, taking from his pocket the letter which I had read down at the boat house.
I watched the faces about me with interest, and I shall never forget the rapid changes of expression that passed over them—first curiosity, then eager attention, astonishment, anger, and finally scornful amusement, as the challenging letter was finished.
When Tony sat down, there was a chorus of howls, accompanied by various exclamations such as “What cheek! Want our cannons, do they? What are they going to do about it? Tell them to come and get them! Maybe they’d better ask for the whole town!——”
Ray hammered on the desk.
“You have heard the letter, gentlemen. What shall we do with it?”
A sharp discussion followed. Some were in favor of answering it with a heated reply, challenging Park College to do their worst, whatever that might be, but the majority were of the conviction that any notice of the letter at all would be unwise.
“Mr. President,” exclaimed one of the latter, “I move we lay it on the table—permanently.”