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THE PLASTIC AGE
227

neeting after he took the chair. “Some things are roing to be changed in this house,” he said sternly, ‘or I will bring influence to bear that will change ihem.” Every one knew that he referred to the lational president of the fraternity. “There will ,e no more drunken brawls in this house such as ve had at the last house dance. Any one who brings 1 cheap woman into this house at a dance will hear from it. Both my fiancee and my sister were at the last dance. I do not intend that they shall be insulted again. This is not a bawdy-house, and I want some of you to remember that.”

He tried very hard to pass a rule, such as many of the fraternities had, that no one could bring liq¬ uor into the house and that there should be no gam¬ bling. He failed, however. The brothers took his scolding about the dance because most of them were heartily ashamed of that occasion; but they an¬ nounced that they did not intend to have the chapter turned into the S. C. A., which was the Sanford Christian Association. It would have been well for Hugh if the law had been passed. Vinton’s insist¬ ent generosity was rapidly turning him into a steady drinker. He did not get drunk, but he was taking down more high-balls than were good for him.

Outside of his drinking, however, he was leading a virtuous and, on the whole, an industrious 1 e. He was too much in love with Cynthia Day to let his mind dwell on other women, and he had become