Page:The plastic age, (IA plasticage00mark).pdf/148

130 he added softly, “I know the lad I Ve got to thank.”

4‘Aw, go to hell.”

The initiation season lasted two weeks, and the neophytes found that the dormitory initiations had been merely child’s play. They had to account for every hour, and except for a brief time allowed every day for studying, they were kept busy making asses of themselves for the delectation of the upper¬ classmen.

In the Nu Delta house a freshman had to be on guard every hour of the day up to midnight. He was forced to dress himself in some outlandish cos¬ tume, the more outlandish the better, and announce every one who entered or left the house. “Mr. Standish entering,” he would bawl, or, “Mr. Kerwin leaving.” If he bawled too loudly, he was paddled; if he didn’t bawl loudly enough, he was paddled; and if there was no fault to be found with his bawling, he was paddled anyway. Every fresh¬ man had to supply his own paddle, a broad, stout oak affair sold at the cooperative store at a hand¬ some profit.

If a freshman reported for duty one minute late, he was paddled; if he reported one minute early, he was paddled. There was no end to the pad¬ dling. “Assume the angle,” an upper-classman would roar. The unfortunate freshman then hum-