And yet as Will Phelps glanced about the room its appearance was pitifully bare.  The furniture was of the plainest, the walls were bare of pictures, there were none of the numerous pillows and other tokens of the warm regard of friends that had accompanied himself and his room-mate into the new life upon which they had entered.  Apparently, however, Hawley was as delighted over his surroundings as he and Foster over theirs, perhaps even more, and Will was thoughtful for a moment as he silently watched his newly made friend.

“How did you happen to come to Winthrop?” he inquired at last when the task of settling the room was measurably complete and all four had seated themselves on the rude wooden chairs which made up most of the furnishings of the room.

“I didn’t ‘happen’ to come.”  Somehow everything appeared to be a source of enjoyment to Hawley, and questions or remarks were alike greeted with a laugh.

“What made you, then?”

“Isn’t Winthrop the best college in the United States?” demanded Hawley.

“Yes, or at least that’s what my father thinks.  He graduated here and it may be that his opinion is a little prejudiced.  Is that why you came?”

“Partly.”  Again Hawley laughed and closed one eye as he spoke.

“I can give a guess what the other reason was,” said Foster.

“What was it?”

“Football.”

Hawley laughed loudly this time as he replied, “You’re ’a very Daniel come to judgment.’  That’s from the ‘Merchant of Venice,’ isn’t it?  Well, if it is, it’s about all I remember of my English course.  Well, I’ll be honest with you.  I did see Baker this summer, and he set before me the advantages of coming to Winthrop in such a way that I couldn’t very well say no.  And I didn’t, so here I am.”

“Did he offer to pay you?” demanded Peter John.

“Did he offer what?” demanded Hawley.

Somewhat abashed Peter John did not repeat his question, and his room-mate at once turned the conversation into other lines.  “We had a pretty good football team in the academy where I fitted for college, and there were several colleges, or at least the football men of the college, who seemed to be quite willing that some of our fellows should go to them.  We had a half-back who was a dandy!  His name was Patrick O’Hara, and he passed better in football than he did in any other subject in the course.”  And Hawley stopped to laugh at the recollection of his former fellow-student.  “Pat wasn’t very much of a hand to study, and when one of the men from White College suggested to him that he should come there, why Pat was delighted.  ‘What studies will you take?’ asked the fellow, for you see he knew without being told that Pat wouldn’t be valedictorian of his class whatever other honor he might take, and he was trying to make it easy for him.  ‘Well,’ said Pat, ‘’bedad, an’ if it’s all th’ same t’ yez, I’m thinkin’ I’ll just be afther takin’ a bit o’ the spellin’ an’ perhaps a bit o’ figurin’.  How do thot be afther suitin’ yez’?”