CHAPTER VI

TRUE FRIEND AND FALSE


A college community is for the most part democratic. A poor student
with talent is quite as likely to be a favorite as the heir to a
fortune, often more so. But there are always some snobs who care more
for dollars than sense. So Walter was destined to find out, for he
made no secret of his loss of fortune. Most of his college friends
sympathized with him, but there was one who proved unreliable.

This was Harvey Warner, the son of a man who had made a fortune during
the Civil War, some said as a sutler. Harvey professed to be very
aristocratic, and had paid especial attention to Walter, because he,
too, had the reputation of being wealthy. He had invited Walter to
pass a couple of weeks at the summer residence of the Warners, near
Lake George. This, however, was before he had heard of Walter's loss
of fortune. As soon as be learned this, he decided that the invitation
must be withdrawn. This would be awkward, as he had been on very
intimate terms with our hero, and had been a guest at the banquet.

Not foreseeing the effect of his changed circumstances on the mind of
his late friend, Walter, meeting him on the campus the day afterward,
called out, familiarly: "How are you, old fellow? Why didn't you come
round to my room last evening?"

"I had another engagement, Sherwood," answered Warner, stiffly.