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THE PLASTIC AGE

many of them were eternally wrapping towels about themselves in the gymnasium, and they took a shower as if it were an act of public shame. The sophomores recognized the timidity that some of the freshmen had in revealing their bodies, and they made full capital of it. The shyer the fresh¬ man, the more pointed their remarks, the more in¬ geniously nasty their tricks.

“I don’t mind the razzing myself,” Hugh told Carl after one particularly strenuous evening, “but I don’t like the things they said to poor little Wil¬ kins. And when they stripped ’em and made Wil¬ kins read that dirty story to Culver, I wanted to %ht.”

“It was kinda rotten,” Carl agreed, “but it was funny.”

“It was n’t funny at all,” Hugh said angrily. Carl looked at him in surprise. It was the first time that he had seen him aroused. “It wasn’t funny at all,” Hugh repeated; “it was just filthy. I’d ’a’ just about died if I’d ’a’ been in Wilkins’s place. The poor kid! They’re too damn dirty, these sophomores. I did n’t think that college men could be so dirty. Why, not even the| bums at home would think of such things. And] I’m telling you right now that there are three of those guys that I’m layin’ for. Just wait till the class rush. I’m going to get Adams, and then I’m going to get Cooper—yes, I’m going to get him