Harold followed the back stage contingent as they dashed out of the side door and around to the front entrance. Arrived there, they walked demurely in and took seats in the back of the huge auditorium just as Dean Pennypacker, looking very dignified in fresh linen and a long shiny black frock coat stepped out upon the rostrum. Harold noticed that somebody had been thoughtful enough to pull down the curtain.
The dean repeated substantially the same address that he had been making for the past five years on the opening day of college. He directed his talk primarily to "those among this assemblage who have lately come among us, who are taking up their labors at Tate University this semester for the first time, the members of the Freshman class." Harold sat bolt upright and inclined his ear earnestly unto wisdom. The president bade these newcomers to toil diligently and do many other highly edifying things. He interspersed this with an elephantine witticism to the effect that the entering men were not to believe that all that glittered was gold when dealing with members of the class immediately above them. The Seniors, who had been snickering at this remark for three years, snickered cynically anew. An almost audible sigh of relief went up from the warm, densely packed gathering
