Page:The plastic age, (IA plasticage00mark).pdf/137

Rh they were knocked into a cocked hat. The frater¬ nity is a pleasant club: it gets you into campus ac¬ tivities; and it gives you a social life in college that you can’t get without it. It is n’t very important to most men after they graduate. Just try to raise some money from the alumni some time, and you ’ll find out. Some of them remain undergraduates all their lives, and they think that the fraternity is important, but most of them hardly think of it ex¬ cept when they come back to reunions. They ’re more interested in their clubs or the Masons or something of that sort.”

“My father has n’t remained an undergraduate all his life, but he’s interested in the Nu Belts,” Hugh countered vigorously.

“I suppose he is,” Graham tactfully admitted, “but you ’ll find that most men are n’t. But that doesn’t matter. You aren’t an alumnus yet; you ’re a freshman, and a fraternity is a darn nice thing to have around while you are in college.

“What I am going to say now,” he continued, hesitating, “is pretty touchy, and I hope that you won’t be offended. I have been trying to impress on you that the fraternity is most important while you are in college, and, believe me, it’s damned important. A fellow has a hell of a time if he gets into the wrong fraternity. ... I am sure that you are going to get a lot of bids. Bon t choose hast¬ ily. Spend to-morrow thinking the various bunches