POOLS.

PRETTY late last night, as I was sitting and calculating if I should be called up in German the next day, I heard somebody come up stairs. First he went to the door opposite mine and knocked several times, but, getting no answer, he turned and came across to my room, and after waiting a moment knocked, and entered. He was stunningly dressed, and had a parcel in his hand addressed to Mr. Lyon, who rooms across the entry. He advanced, cordially holding out his hand.

"Why, how do you do, Morris?" said he; "I did n't know you were here, I'm awfully glad to see you. But you don't remember me. I'm Rumvill; don't you remember Rumvill at the Dwight School? Why, we were together two years there."

I certainly did remember the name of Rumvill, but I could n't recollect that we had been exactly brothers there. In fact, I think I remember his lifting me up by the ears one recess; and he got licked for it, too, the cowardly dog. But still I asked him to sit down, and remarked that it was a long time since then.

"That's so, it is. And I don't know how I should ever have found you if I had n't had to take this bundle to Lyon here. But he is n't in, so I think I will wait here for him, if you don't mind; as I was saying, I happened to look round and saw your great shingle on the door, and thought to myself, 'Who can have put out such an immense card?' And when I read the name, I said, 'Can this be little Morris Benson whom I used to carry on my shoulders at the Dwight?' And so I knocked to see; and if it was n't that you were so little I should n't believe you were, for you are as cold as a beastly ice-cream, and not half so sweet!"

I protested that I was very glad to see him, but that I had not remembered him at first; that I should be very happy if he would wait till Lyon came back, and that I would try to sweeten up as well as I could.

So he was pacified, and talked very agreeably on college subjects, most especially on sporting matters, and I joined in as well as I could. I had him on the new University shells, for he had n't been down to the boat-house since they came, but he discussed the advantages of paper and wood at a great rate.

Then he grew confidential, and talked about the mistakes he 'd made when he was a Freshman, and what he had undergone when he was being initiated for the Institute. Wonderful tales, and I hope true!

I tried to get some points for my electives, but he fought shy of them. He said that he 'd been cheated right through. They d said the courses he took were soft, but he found every deuced ore of them deuced hard. Then we veered back to sporting news again, and got on that awful Yale game.

"Well," said he, "I was the only man that went down that did n't get cleaned out. And I bet heavily, too."

"You did n't run off without -"

"No, no," he interrupted; "I ain't that sort. What I did was to take four or five pools on Yale before I left here; they were twenty-nine to six, you know, before the game. Then I went down to New Haven and bet the rest of my pile, and lost it, but then I raked in on the pools enough to cover my shorts. See?"

"Yes," said I, "I think I do, but I don't understand pools very well any way, I wish you 'd explain to me the way you do it; because I don't like to ask anybody I don't know, for fear they 'll laugh at me."

"All right," said he, and he took out his purse. "Well, I've only five dollars; hand us over some of your money, it's easier to understand when the pool's large. That's right, - five, ten, - good Heavens! fifty dollars, - that will make a jolly pool. You're a rich man, Morris."

I watched with interest as he put the money into piles.

"There," said he, "we 'll have it the base-ball championship. You put in ten on the Bostons, and I ten on the - Hullo, there's Lyon, I must catch him before he goes in, or he 'll sport on me. I'll come back for my cane!"

I heard Lyon's door slam. I also heard hasty footsteps down the stairs. I looked on the table. There were his hat and cane, but where was the money? I rushed over to Lyon's room, and pounded on the door. He shouted out, "Who's there?"

"Is Rumvill here?" I screamed.

"O - , 't was rum did it. Go to bed."

The name of Rumvill is not on the catalogue.

M. B.