At five minutes after five, Vag pulled open his desk drawer and stared down at his study card. It was still there. A certain annoyed feeling gripped him, becoming stronger after he pushed the card aside and found a note underneath: "Study card due Tuesday." The calendar over his desk said the same thing. Gambling on a last chance, Vag, dashed out to the next room and unearthed the latest paper from the pile on the couch. Tuesday it was, and his study card wasn't in.

Vag dropped thoughtfully into a chair and studied his Christmas Gift List. Friends and Relations--and now the University. Ten dollars he was giving it. Of course this hadn't been the first time, since he had done the same thing every February, April, and September he could recall. He didn't mind paying the fine now so much, because everyone else was also giving presents. It was just that gifts like this were usually made by alumni, and although Vag had been around a long time, he wasn't quite . . . but that was an idea.

Next morning Vag asked his Dean very bluntly for a leave of absence. The Dean looked at him shrewdly and spoke of tradition, the College, and inquired when Vag wanted to leave.

"Not till after I graduate," said Vag. "You see, I'd like to see my name in Latin. But you understand, I want to come back for my twenty-fifth Class Reunion, for at that time I plan to make my big Gift to the University. With a leave of absence, I'll be sure of coming back."

The Dean spoke again of the College and how there would always be a place for Vag in the local scene. The Dean suggested Vag fill out a petition, but warned him in the same breath that it would be useless. He again mentioned tradition.

Once outside, Vag scratched the Dean's name off his Christmas List. He couldn't make his big Gift as an alumnus, but if he kept forgetting to hand in study cards on time . . . Vag wrote "Merry Christmas" across the top of his card; to it he pinned a check. "Pay to the order of the Vagabond Fund for Forgetful Students," it said, "Ten Dollars."