CHAPTER XXII
GRICE APPEARS AGAIN
Robert Drake's character was singularly generous and ingenuous. He hadtaken the greatest of interest in his various studies and drills. At notime did he ever have desire or ambition of standing first in his class.Without being brilliant he had a good, clear mind with excellentreasoning ability, and by hard work and diligent application he hadfinally taken high class rank, and now he was certain to be graduated.So much had come to him this last year in the way of friendship andhonors that it had proved one of heartfelt satisfaction to him, andRobert realized that he would always look back upon this year asprobably the happiest period of his life.
Stonewell had left on Friday, and the next night Robert went to a hopgiven at the Armory. These occur many times during the year, and serveto bring desired relaxation and pleasure into the crowded, hard-workinglife of the midshipman.
"Helen, is your gown all ready?" asked Robert with glad triumph in hisface.
"Oh, Robert," exclaimed Helen with enthusiasm, "I knew you would win theflag. I'm so happy about it, and so is father and mother. You see we arereally proud of our friend who has done so well. Really, Robert, I amtruly glad to be distinguished among your friends by your asking me topresent the flag. I wanted you to win it for yourself, not for the briefdistinction that comes to me; and actually I don't present it to you;it's already yours. I've had these thoughts all day, Robert; I can onlysay I'm proud to be the one to present the flag to you, just because I'mproud of my friend."
"Don't analyze too much, Helen; take the day as it comes and enjoy thehoney of the hour. You see, the friendship of you and your father andmother is something I will always remember, and little as the flagpresentation may be, neither you nor yours will forget it."
"Little!" exclaimed Helen, the real girl coming out, her philosophizingover; "well! I guess it won't be little. I'm to be out in front ofseven hundred midshipmen, all by myself, and there will be ten thousandother people looking at me. I will have on a new gown made at theConvent at Baltimore and a new hat and a gorgeous bouquet of Americanbeauties. I imagine you won't think it's little when it happens, RobertDrake."
Robert laughed. "That's right, Helen; that's the way to feel. By theway, do you remember that Sunday long ago, when we took our first walk?It was soon after I first met you."
"Oh, yes. And you helped me jump over a mud-puddle."
"Do you remember the invitation I gave you then to our class graduationgerman and ball?"
"Yes, Robert, I remember all that and you have spoken of it since.Indeed I shall be glad to go with you."
"I was just thinking how pleasant our friendship has been, Helen, andhow all of these things have come to pass. I was so blue and unhappy theday I first went to your father's house--you see there weren't manypeople who had a friendly word for me then. Your father has always beena true friend of mine."
"Indeed he is. He is here to-night; hunt him up later; he always speaksof you when he comes to Annapolis; he will talk to you of your father;he sees him every day now. But, Robert, I can't help but be surprisedthat though you are so friendly to father and mother and me, you arealways so hostile to Harry. Harry wants to be friendly; he said onlyyesterday that he liked you, but that you cut him every time you methim."
"I wish your brother every good luck, Helen, and I hope he'll be worthyof his father. Some time----"
"Robert, there's that old colored man in the doorway again, oldGrice--he is surely beckoning to you--I wonder if he has 'disregarded'with his wife again about religion. Go and see what he wants and comeback and tell me about it."
It was now nearing eleven o'clock. In their talk Robert and Helen hadwalked several times around the room, so engrossed with each other thatthey paid but little attention to the beautiful music and none to thehappy throng of young people gliding over the floor. Robert looked withannoyance at Grice. The latter was now gesticulating frantically at himthrough the open doorway.
"What do you want, Grice?" he asked almost roughly.
"Come 'long, Mistah Drake," the old colored man cried; "come 'long oryo'll be too late."
"Come along where?"
"To the department of mathmax. The two midshipmen gwine ter steal thezamnation at 'leven 'clock ter-night."
"How do you know?"
"They come las' night. I was there. I heared dem talk; they had keys an'opened the doors and desk where the zamnations are kept. I heared onesay the zamnations were not there; he says, 'We'll come back 'levenSaturday night; the zamnations are sure to be here Saturday night.' Andthey wuz right. I knowed the zamnation wusn't there den, but dey isthere now. So, come 'long, hurry up."
"Have you told anybody?"
"No, suh," and a look of cunning came over the face of the old darkey."'Deed I haven't, Mistah Drake. Ef I tole anybody he would say ole Gricelied and I would be dismissed. No, suh, I haven't tole no one. Come'long, Mistah Drake, or the zamnation will be stole."
"You idiot," exclaimed Robert, intensely angry. He looked about hopingto see some officer he could consult, but none were near him; he had anotion of getting some midshipman to go with him, but at this instant"Home Sweet Home" was started by the band, indicating the close of thedance, and now it would be impossible to get any advice or anybody tocome with him. "Fletcher," he said to the midshipmen's head waiter, whowas at the lemonade stand, "find Captain Blunt; tell him I'munexpectedly called away; ask him to tell his daughter."
"Come 'long, Mistah Drake, or the zamnation will be stole, an' ef it isI'll tell the commandant ter-morrer that I tole yo' an' yo' wouldn'tcome. Come 'long, suh," urged the old man, his face glowing with aneager, frightened look.
Robert groaned in extreme disgust. The matter was unutterablydistasteful to him, but he felt helpless. He wished that the examinationhad been stolen and he had known nothing about it. But there was no helpfor him; he knew he had to go, so with an impatient angry exclamation hequickly went to the hat room on his right, and a moment later joinedGrice. Without further talk the two then ran across the grounds and soonwere in the Academic building. Here all was dark, but Grice had keyswith him and led the way.
"They'll be heah soon, suh," whispered Grice; "now ef you go behind thattable, an' kneel down, you'll be near the zamnation papers; I'll go overheah, an' after they get to the desk I'll turn on the 'lectric light."
Robert took the old man's suggestion and crouched down by a long table.The moonlight streaming through the window threw weird, ghostlikeshadows over the floor and gave Robert a creepy sensation. He feltintensely annoyed and irritated to be there, but realized it was a dutyhe could not avoid. At the other end of the room was old Grice; outsidewas heard the rumble of carriages coming from the Armory; the bell inthe yard struck six, and was followed like an echo by the bells from theships and tugs at anchor in the harbor. A marine sentinel not far awaycalled out in tones long drawn out the words, "Post number three--andall's well."
And then came a slight noise. Some one was surely fumbling at the door.In the stillness Robert could hear his heart beat. It seemed as thoughseconds were prolonged into hours. Soon Robert was conscious that thedoor leading out into the hall was being slowly opened and softlyclosed. And then in the dim moonlight, he saw two dark figures likephantoms, making no sound, approach the desk where he knew theexamination questions of the coming week were kept. With painfulintensity of mind, and with a suffocating feeling, he saw them pausebefore the desk and heard a faint jingle, as of keys on a ring.
Then the room was suddenly flooded with light.
Robert never afterward liked to think, far less to speak, of thefeelings he experienced in the next few seconds. They brought himmore agony, more desolate grief, than he had ever felt before, or, itis hoped, will ever come again to him.
_HE SAW TWO DARK FIGURES_]
With startled, frightened glances the two jumped up. One was in civiliangarb, a brown slouch hat was down over his forehead, a heavy darkmoustache and beard covered his face; he wore a tightly buttoned upcoat
. The other was in midshipman uniform, and five golden stripesadorned each sleeve.
"Oh!" gasped Robert, in anguish; "oh, Stonewell." Robert himself, unseenunder the table, was almost overcome with grief and dismay. The beardedman jumped as if he had been shot, and then his companion exclaimed in alow voice: "Run, Harry, we're caught."
As he said this both bolted from the room, and the last Robert saw ofthem was the electric light flashing on the golden stripes, which for ayear had been Robert's joy, and the pride of every midshipman, but werenow so dishonored and disgraced.
The shock was too unexpected, too sudden for Robert. So his belovedfriend, his idol of manhood and honor, the ideal all-around midshipmanof his time, had proved to be but a low, contemptible dastard--
Robert's head sank on his knees and unrestrained convulsive sobs burstfrom his lips. He was suddenly robbed of that which was dearest to him;and blank hopeless desolation took possession of him.