Ralph Henry Barbour

“ He cast a despairing look about him as though meditating flight, gulped, and——
“I love you,” he said in even, emotionless tones like one talking in his sleep, and he reached over and seized her hand as though it were a foot-ball which the opponents had fumbled. The girl’s face was suddenly averted and her shoulders trembled.
“Will you marry me?” continued Winnie, pale, determined. Then he dropped her hand, emitted a monstrous sigh of relief and awaited the storm. Mildred turned. Her cheeks were crimson and her lips were trembling, but her eyes never faltered. ”

“ As I was about to say, there were moments when Winnie doubted whether Olympus was worth the price of admission, whether the present and subsequent honor and benefit made up for the days of dumb servitude. The society had the reputation of conducting the hardest initiations of any in college; and after two days of it Winnie was not in a mood to question the society’s right to the reputation. ”

“ Don’t try to cut any of the agony, now, because she’ll tell me when you get back.”
“I’m—I’m damned if I do!” exploded Winnie, his eyes large with horror.
“You’ll have to,” answered Dick calmly. “How are you going to get out of it?”
“I’ll—I’ll throw up the Society!”
“You couldn’t!”
“You’ve no right to ask me to do such a thing!” stammered Winnie.
“I don’t ask it; I tell you to. And you’ll do it. You’re under—well, remember what you undertook when you were called out. You can’t go back on that. No one but a cad would squeal. Besides, it’s never been done.” ”