On Saturday night the Glee Club concert took place. The large examination room on the top floor of Burke Hall had been decorated especially for the purpose and the floor filled with chairs. The concert was a brilliant musical as well as financial success. The club had been carefully trained, and sang with great spirit and dash. The audience was large and enthusiastic, consisting chiefly of the students and the professors’ families, with a generous sprinkling of town people. Every number was encored, and the singers were compelled to introduce many additional features, which they did with a good will that made the entertainment delightful throughout. It seemed to me that the old college songs never had sounded so sweet as when sung that night at our baseball benefit. The other members of the nine must have shared my feelings; and as for Tony, his beaming face fairly lighted up the lower end of the hall.
Before the entertainment was over I made my way toward him with a view to securing definite information concerning our finances. Tony seemed wrapped in an ecstatic revery as I approached. No doubt he was dreaming of the riches that lay in the strong tin box on which he was sitting, and which were soon to be deposited in the treasury of the baseball association.
“Well, Tony,” I whispered, nudging him, “how are the funds now? Have you got rid of your uneasiness about hiring those men?”
“Harry,” answered Tony, “I got rid of that some days ago when I finished my subscription list at $120. I am thinking now of hiring a corps of servants and a brass band to accompany us on our tour. How much do you think there is in this box?”
I shook my head. Tony leaned forward and whispered impressively,
“Over $300. And that, with the $120 I have collected and the $40 already on hand, makes it $460.”
“Well, I suppose you are happy now,” I said, laughing. “But what are you going to do with that $300 to-night?”
“Oh, as soon as Maynard, the treasurer of the Glee Club, comes back we are going to take it down stairs. Mr. Dikes said that we might put it in his safe over Sunday.”
The proceeds from the concert far exceeded my expectations, and placed our association upon a secure financial basis. The amount now in the treasury would alone cover all expenses and carry us through the season, to say nothing of our share in the proceeds from the various games.
Easter vacation began on the following Saturday, accordingly, on Thursday night, Dick Palmer, Tony, and I met at Ray’s rooms by appointment to choose the nine. There was but little difference of opinion among us, and a little more than half an hour sufficed to select the names.