“And of course you’ll let Morgan remain in Yale?” said Bart, with curling lips.
“I don’t know. I’m in a dilemma about it. You see, it is this way: Morgan is such a capable fellow that if he could be brought round right, he would make a man worthy of Yale. With, possibly, the exception of Starbright, he is the most promising freshman here. If I’m lenient with him, it may bring him to realize just how he stands. He may turn short about and make a man of himself. While, on the other hand, if I should brand him with the disgrace of an expulsion from the college, he might go headlong to the bad. That’s what makes me hesitate. I’d like to give him a chance to become something more than a brilliant villain.”
Hodge had been quite mild in his protest against Morgan, but he said this last very positively. When he was gone Merriwell sat for a long time thinking. Usually he could not agree with Hodge in such matters; but he was not sure that in this instance Hodge was not right.
“I’ll give Morgan a chance, any way!” was his conclusion. “I’ll let him play in that match, and I’ll watch him.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A large crowd hastened out to Lake Whitney that afternoon to witness the match between the two Yale sevens.
The snowfall had spoiled the ice for skating, but a space sufficiently large for an ice-hockey match had been cleared of the snow, revealing a surface to please the eye of the most critical hockey-player.
Not only was Yale well represented, but a number of New Haven people added their presence to the crowd, being anxious to see the playing, chiefly because Merriwell was on one of the teams.
Frank Merriwell and Inza Burrage drove out. They had been much together recently, but Inza was to leave New Haven that night for an indefinite absence.
As Frank descended from the carriage and assisted Inza to alight, a sleigh, the only one there, came up with the horse at a dead run. Out of the sleigh proceeded a roar, and tumbling out after the roar fell Bink Stubbs and Danny Griswold.
“Whoop!” squealed Danny, making a dive for Merriwell.
“Wow!” squeaked Bink, diving after his chum.
Ready puffed out his cheeks and leaped toward them with the “glad hand.” Dozens of others appeared to forget all about ice-hockey and gravitated toward the two little fellows, who were now hopping up and down, chattering out their delight and shaking hands with every one who came forward.