“You always were a raven, chum,” he would exclaim.  “Wait until Thursday night.”

And Neil, without much hope, waited.

CHAPTER V

AND SHOWS HIS METTLE

The freshman election took place in one of the lecture rooms of Grace Hall.  There was a full attendance of the entering class, while the absence of sophomores was considered by those who had heard of former freshman elections at Erskine as something unnatural and of evil portent.

Paul, robbed of the support of Tom Cowan’s presence, was noticeably ill at ease, and for the first time appeared to be in doubt as to his election.  Fanwell Livingston was put in nomination by one of his St. Mathias friends in a speech that secured wide applause, and the nomination was duly seconded by a red-headed and very eloquent youth who, so Neil learned, was King, the captain of the St. Mathias baseball team of the preceding spring.

“Are there any more nominations?” asked the chairman, a member of the junior class.

South, a Hillton boy, arose and spoke at some length of the courage and ability for leadership of one of whom they had all heard; “of one who on the white-grilled field of battle had successfully led the hosts of Hillton Academy against the St. Eustace hosts.” (Two St. Eustace graduates howled derisively.) South ended in a wild burst of flowery eloquence and placed in nomination “that triumphant football captain, that best of good fellows, Paul Dunlop Gale!”

The applause which followed was flattering, though, had Paul but known it, it was rather for the speech than the nominee.  And the effect was somewhat marred by several inquiries from different parts of the hall as to who in thunder Gale was.  Neil secured recognition ere the applause had subsided, and seconded the nomination.  He avoided rhetoric, and told his classmates in few words and simple phrases that Paul Gale possessed pluck, generalship, and executive ability; that he had proved this at Hillton, and, given the chance, would prove it again at Erskine.

“Gale is a stranger to many of you fellows,” he concluded, “but, whether you make him class president or whether you give that honor to another, he won’t be a stranger long.  A fellow that can pilot a Hillton football team to victory against almost overwhelming odds and through the greatest of difficulties as Gale did last year is not the sort to sit around in corners and watch the procession go by.  No, sir; keep your eye on him.  I’ll wager that before the year’s out you’ll be prouder of him than of any man in your class.  And, meanwhile, if you’re looking for the right man for the presidency, a man that’ll lead 1905 to a renown beside which the other classes will look like so many battered golf-balls, why, I’ve told you where to look.”

Neil sat down amid a veritable roar of applause, and Paul, totally unembarrassed by the praise and acclaim, smiled with satisfaction.  “That was all right, chum,” he whispered.  “I guess we’ve got them on the run, eh?”