CHAPTER XVIII
AN OLD COLORED MAN IS IN TROUBLE
A hop was given that Saturday night at the Armory. There was nothingparticularly noteworthy about this hop; it was just like hundreds of itspredecessors. As usual, near graduation time, there were many out oftown visitors, and it is likely that brass buttons proved attractive tothem. Many glad faces were to be seen whirling around, and judging bythe happy laughs that were heard everyone was having a jolly time.
Robert Drake had escorted an old friend that night, Miss Nellie Strong.He had seen her card filled up, had presented her partners, and hadtaken three numbers himself.
"Something is always happening to you, Robert," remarked Nellie as theywalked around the room after the second dance. "Now tell me whatmisadventure you have had this year."
"Not one, Nellie; my bad luck is all over; not one single unpleasantthing has happened to me since I became a first classman."
"What was the occasion of that remarkable disappearance of yours a yearago? Surely you can tell me now; I've never been so curious overanything in my life."
"I've never told anybody about that, neither my father nor Stonewell norHelen nor anybody else."
"Well, I declare! I don't suppose it amounted to much, anyway. Andperhaps you think you're more interesting if you're mysterious. Now, Mr.Robert, tell me something else; why wasn't Harry Blunt with us thisafternoon? I asked him and he said you hadn't invited him. Don't youlike him, Robert? I think Harry is a nice boy."
"Don't talk to me about Harry Blunt. Let's talk about his sister. Helenis a very good friend of mine, and her father is one of the finest----"
"Robert," suddenly interrupted Nellie, "something is going to happen toyou again--that colored man in the doorway motioned to you; just look athim, he's motioning to you now; he wants to speak to you,--oh, I justknew something would happen to you."
"Nonsense. That's old Grice. He's a great old chap. He just wants to seeme about something--I'll take you to where Mrs. Blunt is and then go seewhat he wants."
"What is it, Grice?" asked Robert to the old man at the door, a momentlater.
"Sompin' powerful bad, Mistah Drake; I'se feared to talk heah. Can yo'come outside, suh? I'se somef'n mighty bad to tell yo', suh!"
The old darkey shook his head and rolled his eyes, making a grotesqueeffort to express the worried feelings evidently in his mind.
"Come outside, but hurry. I'm here with some young ladies, and I haven'tmuch time to talk with you."
"No, suh, co'se not. And dem young ladies am pow'ful nice, suh."
"Well, Grice, what is it that you want with me?"
"Well, suh, I doan' know how to tell it. Yo' knows I'se messenger fordepartment of mathmax, doan' yo', Mistah Drake?"
"Of course; what of it?"
"Mistah Drake, suh, will yo' gibe me yor promise as a naval officer an'gemman that yo' won' tell anybody what I'se gwine to say?"
"No, of course I won't."
"Well, suh, a big crime is goin' to be cormitted. An' a pore ole niggahman knows about it an' goes to a young gemman frend of hizn and asks fo'help and can't get none. And the pore ole niggah will be accused an' goto jail. Won' yo' help me, Mistah Drake? Won' yo' help a pore ole niggahwhat's in trouble?"
"Of course I will, Grice, but I'm not going to promise you to keepsecret what you tell me."
"Ef yo' goes roun' talking 'bout what I tells yo' no one will believeme. I'll be bounced, suh, after thirty years heah, an' ef yo' doan' helpme a crime will be cormitted and folks will say ole Grice done it. Ain'tyo' gwine to help me, Mistah Drake?"
Robert thought for a moment, looking intently at the old negro. Thelatter talked with great effort. Beads of perspiration burst out on hisface. It was evident that Grice was in terror of losing his all and knewnot what to do. "Grice, I'll help you if I can," said Robert. "If whatyou tell me is important I will talk about it to the commandant and tono one else. Now what is it? Be quick."
"Thank yo', suh. Two midshipmen is a-gwine to steal the mathmaxzamnation. I wuz sleepin' in the mathmax room last night. My ole womanan' I done hav' a disregard 'bout religion yesterday; she's Zion Baptis'an' I'se Asbury Methodis'. We disregarded so hard that I didn't go homelas' night,--co'se 'tain't allowed to sleep in mathmax room, but I doneit las' night; well, suh, Mistah Drake, suh, suah as yo' is bawn, suh,it woke me up. Two men came in the mathmax room. The doors wuz alllocked; I done that myself; they mus' have had a key made. They come tothe desk were the zamnation questions is kep'. They had a light--turnedit on, and put somfin' in the key bob of the desk, I seen 'em do it,suh. This morning I fin' wax in keyhole. Zamnations ain't made out yet,but these gemmen will come back with the keys and steal thezamnation--den ole Grice will be 'cused and dismissed--zamnations havebeen stolen befoah, Mistah Drake, yo' knows it, suh, an' money stolen,an' gen'ally some pore niggah gets dismissed an' half de time it's somepore white trash in midshipman close what does it. Yes, suh, an' ----"
"Did you see the faces of these midshipmen, Grice?" interrupted Robert.
"Yes, suh. I done had a good luk at 'em."
"Who were they?"
"Foah de Lawd sake, Mistah Drake, doan' yo' ask me no suchquestionings," cried out Grice in affrighted tones.
"Do you know the names of those two midshipmen?"
"Yes, suh, Mistah Drake, suh, but I ain't a-gwine to say who they is; efI tole yo' who they is they would tole yo' Grice prevaricated and Gricewould be dismissed. No, suh, I ain't a-gwine to tole yo' who they is,Mistah Drake, suh; yo' done got to catch 'em, suh."
"Grice, I shall tell the commandant what you have told me and he willmake you tell him who they are."
"I disremember their names, suh," suddenly replied Grice. "I forgetstheir names, but I knows 'em; they is midshipmen. Now, Mistah Drake,suh, they will come back, suah they will, suh, an' yo' an' me will bein the mathmax room and catch 'em."
"All right, Grice, I'll help you; but I've got to go now. Call on me ifanything new turns up," and Robert returned to the ballroom and soon waswith Helen Blunt.
"Robert," she said after a few minutes, "we're awfully worried aboutHarry; he's been dropping in mathematics and is officially warned thathe is in danger of failing at the annual examination. Do you think hewill fail?"
"There's but little danger of that, Helen; don't worry; lots of hisclassmates have been warned and your brother is really bright. He wouldhave high class rank if he studied, and he always does fairly well inexaminations. I saw his name posted at the beginning of this month, butyou needn't worry; he probably has been boning and no doubt will pass."
"Won't you help him, Robert?" asked Helen in wistful tones; "you knowwhat a terribly sad thing it is to a naval family to have a son fail atAnnapolis."
"Wherever and whenever I can. Just bet on that; but your brother and Iare not friendly and I'm quite sure he would disdain any help from me."
"Oh, Robert, what did that old colored man want?" cried Nellie Strong,running up.
"Oh," laughed Robert, "he wanted to know who that powerfully pretty girlwas that I was with. He said she was the nicest girl on the floor. Andthen he wanted to know who made that crepe de chine gown you are wearingand----"
"Robert Drake, stop your nonsense, and tell me what that old manwanted," cried Nellie, consumed with curiosity; "are you in some moretrouble; are you going to disappear again?"
"What is it, Robert; has anything happened?" inquired Helen, muchconcerned.
"Nothing much; an old colored man, Grice, who is the sweeper and cleanerof the mathematical department, is in trouble and wanted my advice andhelp. You see his wife is a Zion Baptist and he's an Asbury Methodist,something like that, and they have 'disregards,' so Grice tells me----"
"Oh, I know old Harriet Grice," interrupted Helen. "She used to cookfor us when father was commandant, and every night when she went homeshe carried with her everything left in the pantry and ice-box. Oncewhen I caught her in the act she said she was taking the stuff to theZion Church; that it wasn't stealing
because she was giving it to theLord. She and old Grice have terrible rows, in spite of their both beingso religious."
Everybody laughed and Nellie Strong was satisfied. Then the musicstarted. "This is ours, Nellie," remarked Robert, and in a moment thetwo were lost in the crowd.
The next morning after chapel service, Robert spent half an hour withthe commandant and related what Grice had told him.
"I'll send for Grice to-morrow," said that officer, "but I doubt if hewill disclose the names of the midshipmen, even if he really does knowthem. These darkeys are remarkably stubborn when they once get a notionin their woolly heads. If Grice is telling a true story we mustcertainly catch the offenders in the act." The commandant thought for amoment and then continued: "I could post some watchmen about the place,but then the guilty persons might take alarm. If Grice's story is truethere is surely a bad pair of midshipmen here, and we must get them anddismiss them."