Page:The plastic age, (IA plasticage00mark).pdf/136

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THE PLASTIC AGE

Hugh leaned forward eagerly. He was n’t of¬ fended, and for the first time that week he did n’t feel that he was being rushed.

“Well, you have a lot of sentimental notions about fraternities that are all bull; that s all. You think that the brothers are really brothers, that they stick by each other and all that sort of thing. You seem to think, too, that the fra¬ ternities are democratic. They are n’t, or there wouldn’t be any fraternities. You don’t seem to realize that fraternities are among other things po¬ litical organizations, fighting each other on the campus for dear life. You ’ve heard fraternities this week knocking each other. Well, about nine tenths of what’s been said is either lies or true of every fraternity on the campus. These fraterni¬ ties are n’t working together for the good of San¬ ford; they’re working like hell to ruin each other. You think that you are going to like every man in the fraternity you join. You won’t. You 11 hate some of them.” j

Hugh was aroused and indignant. “If you fee that way about it, why do you stay in a fraternity?’ Graham smiled gravely. “Don’t get angry] please. I stay because the fraternity has its vir tues as well as its faults. I hated the fraternity the first two years, and I’m afraid that you ’r going to, too. You see, I had the same sort' o notions you have—and it hurt like the devil whei