"Am I my brother's keeper?"

Andy wanted to close his mind to it, but that one question seemed to repeat itself over and over again to him.

"Have some beer?"

The voice of a waiter was whispering to him.

"No--not to-night," said Andy, softly. And what a relief he felt. No one seemed to notice him, nor was his refusal looked upon as strange. Then he noticed with a light heart that only a few of the lads, and the older ones at that, were taking the beverage. Andy noticed, too, with more relief, that Dunk only took one gla.s.s.

The meal went on merrily, and then Andy and Dunk, refusing many invitations to come to the rooms of friends, or downtown to a show, went to their own room.

"Let's get it in shape," proposed Dunk.

"Sure," agreed Andy, and they set to work.

Each one had brought from home certain trophies--mementoes of school life--and these soon adorned the walls. Then there were banners and pennants, sofa cushions--the gift of certain girls--and photographs galore.

"Well, I call this some nifty little joint!" exclaimed Dunk, stepping back to admire the effect of the photograph of a pretty girl he had fastened on the wall.

"It sure is," agreed Andy, who was himself putting up a picture.

"I say, who's that?" asked Dunk, indicating it. "She's some little looker, if you don't mind me saying so."

"My sister."

"Congrats! I'd like to meet her."

"Maybe--some day."

"Who's this--surely not your sister?" asked Dunk, indicating another picture. "I seem to know her."

"She's a vaudeville actress, Miss Fuller."

"Oh, ho! So that's the way the wind blows, is it? Say, you are going some, Andy."

"Nothing doing! I happened to save her from a fire----"

"Save her from a fire! Worse and more of it. I must tell this to the boys!"

"Oh, it wasn't anything," and Andy explained. "She sent me a mackinaw in place of my burned coat, and her picture was in the pocket. I kept it."

"I should think you would. She's a peach, and clever, too, I understand.

She's billed at Poli's."

"Yes, I'm going to see her."

"Take me around, will you?"

"Sure, if you like."

"I like all right. Hark, someone's coming!" and Dunk slipped to the door and put on the chain.

"What's the matter?" asked Andy.

"Oh, the sophs are around and may come in and make a rough house any minute."

But the approaching footsteps did not prove to be those of vengeful soph.o.m.ores. They were the three friends, Bob, Thad, and Ted, who were soon admitted.

As they were sitting about and talking there was a commotion out in the hall. The door, which Dunk had neglected to chain after the admission of his friends, was suddenly burst open, and in came, with a rush, Mortimer Gaffington and several other soph.o.m.ores.

"Rough house!" was their rallying cry.

"Rough house for the freshies!"

"Rough house!"

CHAPTER XII

A FIERCE TACKLE

Andy and his chums were taken completely by surprise. The approach of Mortimer and the other soph.o.m.ores had been so silent that no warning had been given.

Immediately on gaining admittance to the room the intruders began tossing things about. They pulled open the drawers of the dresser, scattering the garments all over. They tore down pictures from the walls and ripped off the banners and pennants.

"Rough house!" they kept repeating. "Rough house on the freshmen!"

One of the soph.o.m.ores pushed Bob and Ted over on Andy's bed, together.

Then Gaffington pulled from his pocket a handful of finely chopped paper of various colors--"confetti"--and scattered it in a shower over everyone and everything.

"Snow, snow! beautiful snow!" he declaimed. "Shiver, freshmen!"

A momentary pause ensued. Andy and his chums were getting back their breaths.

"Well, why don't you shiver?" demanded Mortimer. "That's snow--beautiful snow--all sorts of colored snow! Shiver, I tell you! It's snowing!

Little Eva in Uncle Tom's Cabin--Eliza crossing the ice! Shiver now, you freshmen, shiver!"

He was laughing in a silly sort of way.

"That's right--shiver!" commanded some of Mortimer's companions.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" jeered the society swell at Andy. "Why don't you shiver?"

"I've forgotten how," said Andy, calmly.