aperture, he began to reflect on life bitterly. Why did men in school with all the responsibilities of education and graduation on their shoulders, especially fellows that were so noble as to offer to work their way through their very most important last year, have to have things like this happen to them?
He began to think perplexing thoughts about his family. His letter had had plenty of time to reach Mother. Why hadn't she done something about it? It was not like Mother not to do something right off the bat, the minute she knew a need. Of course, he had undertaken to care for himself this year, and that was all right, but the family would surely be glad to help him out to the extent of a new suit. They would want him to look decent. And he hadn't quite made it as bad in his letter as the state of his wardrobe really was. He was almost ashamed to let them know just how low he had let his stock of garments get. Of course, if he hadn't ordered the most expensive class ring, the one with the real stone in it, he would have had plenty to get the new suit, which would be good enough. But it hadn't seemed good economy to get just a cheap plated class ring with no stone in it. One had only one college graduating class ring in a lifetime, and it ought to be good. Sometime he might want to let a girl wear it, and he would be ashamed of just a common ring. Then of course he had got the new racket. He really couldn't do his best with the old one, and this was his last chance to make a record at the spring tournament. Yes, and of course he had had to get the new raincoat on account of having left his old one on the train the time he went up with the football team in the fall.
Thus reasoning, he drove his needle into his thumb again, and flinging his trousers far into the corner, he put his thumb into his mouth and danced around the room with the pain and the state of his nerves.
"Hang it all," he said, pulling his thumb out of his mouth and speaking aloud, "I b'lieve I'll call 'em up. I can charge the call and pay it at the end of term, and then Mother can wire the money and get it here before the store down in the village closes at five o'clock. That suit down there would do. Of course, it's fifteen bucks more then she would pay in the city, but Caesar! I've gotta have that suit tonight, no two ways about it."
So Stephen Challenger put his conscience in his pocket and went downstairs to the office.
"I want long distance, Buck," he said to the young man behind the desk, "and I want it charged to my account."
"Okay with me," said Buck. "Take booth number two; I got a call ta N'Y'rk coming in on number one."
Stephen caught Phyllis just as she was going out to look up a cheap room somewhere. He had some trouble getting the call through because service had been discontinued the week before on account of a long-overdue bill, but he persuaded the operator that his was an emergency call and he would be personally responsible for that bill, and she put it through.
"Hello, Mater," he called joyously, "is that you?"
"Oh Steve!" answered Phyllis. "Is that you?" There was a note of apprehension in her voice. "What's the matter?"
"I want to speak to Mother, kid; call her quick!"
"She isn't here, Steve. She went out almost an hour ago, and I don't know when she'll be back. You'll have to tell me, I guess."
Stephen considered. Phyllis was often apt to be too practical. Still, what else could he do?
"Did Mother get my letter?"
"Yes, just before she left."
"Oh." A dismal pause. "Then she's gone out to order me a suit, I suppose."
"Oh, no, she hasn't, Steve!"
"That's good," said the brother with relief in his voice, "because I'll have to get it here after all. I've got to use it tonight. It'll cost a little more, but it can't be helped. Can you get hold of Mother in the next half hour and tell her to wire me fifty dollars before three o'clock? I simply must have it."
"She can't, Steve; she hasn't got it." Phyllis's voice was full of
He began to think perplexing thoughts about his family. His letter had had plenty of time to reach Mother. Why hadn't she done something about it? It was not like Mother not to do something right off the bat, the minute she knew a need. Of course, he had undertaken to care for himself this year, and that was all right, but the family would surely be glad to help him out to the extent of a new suit. They would want him to look decent. And he hadn't quite made it as bad in his letter as the state of his wardrobe really was. He was almost ashamed to let them know just how low he had let his stock of garments get. Of course, if he hadn't ordered the most expensive class ring, the one with the real stone in it, he would have had plenty to get the new suit, which would be good enough. But it hadn't seemed good economy to get just a cheap plated class ring with no stone in it. One had only one college graduating class ring in a lifetime, and it ought to be good. Sometime he might want to let a girl wear it, and he would be ashamed of just a common ring. Then of course he had got the new racket. He really couldn't do his best with the old one, and this was his last chance to make a record at the spring tournament. Yes, and of course he had had to get the new raincoat on account of having left his old one on the train the time he went up with the football team in the fall.
Thus reasoning, he drove his needle into his thumb again, and flinging his trousers far into the corner, he put his thumb into his mouth and danced around the room with the pain and the state of his nerves.
"Hang it all," he said, pulling his thumb out of his mouth and speaking aloud, "I b'lieve I'll call 'em up. I can charge the call and pay it at the end of term, and then Mother can wire the money and get it here before the store down in the village closes at five o'clock. That suit down there would do. Of course, it's fifteen bucks more then she would pay in the city, but Caesar! I've gotta have that suit tonight, no two ways about it."
So Stephen Challenger put his conscience in his pocket and went downstairs to the office.
"I want long distance, Buck," he said to the young man behind the desk, "and I want it charged to my account."
"Okay with me," said Buck. "Take booth number two; I got a call ta N'Y'rk coming in on number one."
Stephen caught Phyllis just as she was going out to look up a cheap room somewhere. He had some trouble getting the call through because service had been discontinued the week before on account of a long-overdue bill, but he persuaded the operator that his was an emergency call and he would be personally responsible for that bill, and she put it through.
"Hello, Mater," he called joyously, "is that you?"
"Oh Steve!" answered Phyllis. "Is that you?" There was a note of apprehension in her voice. "What's the matter?"
"I want to speak to Mother, kid; call her quick!"
"She isn't here, Steve. She went out almost an hour ago, and I don't know when she'll be back. You'll have to tell me, I guess."
Stephen considered. Phyllis was often apt to be too practical. Still, what else could he do?
"Did Mother get my letter?"
"Yes, just before she left."
"Oh." A dismal pause. "Then she's gone out to order me a suit, I suppose."
"Oh, no, she hasn't, Steve!"
"That's good," said the brother with relief in his voice, "because I'll have to get it here after all. I've got to use it tonight. It'll cost a little more, but it can't be helped. Can you get hold of Mother in the next half hour and tell her to wire me fifty dollars before three o'clock? I simply must have it."
"She can't, Steve; she hasn't got it." Phyllis's voice was full of
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