CHAPTER XX
When the Great News Was Given Out
At just nine o'clock Congressman Spokes came on to the platformfollowed by two other men.
One of these latter was a town official, who, in a very few words,introduced the Member of Congress.
Congressman Spokes now addressed the young men upon the vocationsthey were seeking to enter. He explained that neither the Militarynor the Naval Academy offered an inducement to boys fond onlyof their ease and good times.
"At either school," warned the Congressman "you will find aheadof you years of the hardest work and the strictest discipline.No boy whose character is not good can hope to enter these schoolsof the nation. It is not worth any boy's while to enter unlesshe stands ready to sacrifice everything, his own ideas and prejudicesincluded, to the service of his country and his flag."
Congressman Spokes continued in this line for some time. Thenhe called for the boys who wished to try for West Point to gatherat the right side of the hall; those for Annapolis at the leftside.
"This is the first time you and I haven't been on the same sidein everything, old fellow," Dick whispered smilingly, as he andDave Darrin parted.
What a hurried count the interested youngsters made! But TomReade, who didn't belong to either crowd, probably made the mostaccurate count. He discovered that sixty-two of the boys hadvoted for West Point. Forty-one favored Annapolis. A few youngmen present, like Tom, didn't care to go to either governmentschool.
"When I am ready to give the word," continued Congressman Spokes,"the young men who want to go to West Point will file out of thedoor at this end of the hall. In the rooms across the corridorthey will find the physicians who are making the physical examinationsfor West Point.
"The Annapolis aspirants will file downstairs and enter throughthe first door at the left, where other physicians will make thephysical examinations for Annapolis.
"The examinations by the physicians here will not be conclusivefor the successful candidates. The final physical examinations,like the final scholastic examinations, will be made at West Pointand Annapolis.
"Now, each young gentleman who passes the physical examinationwill receive a signed card with his name on it. Such successfulyoung men are then excused until one o'clock. At one o'clocksharp the young men who have certificates from the medical examinersmay report for their scholastic examinations. Do not come here,however, for the scholastic examinations. West Point aspirantswill report at the High School, and those for Annapolis at theCentral Grammar School.
"Now, at eight o'clock this evening you return here. At thathour, or as soon there after as possible, announcement will bemade, from this platform, of the names of the successful youngmen and their alternates. Now the young men for West Point forward,the Annapolis hopefuls downstairs!"
Inside of two minutes the town hall was bare, save for the presenceof Tom Reade, who, with his hands in his pockets, walked about,whistling.
In forty-five minutes Dick, flushed an breathless, broke in uponTom, as the latter sat waiting patiently for his friends.
"I've passed the doctors all right," announced Dick, producinghis card.
"That's all right, then," nodded Tom. "And the rest will be easier."
Twenty minutes later Dave Darrin join them.
"I've passed---that part of the trial," he proclaimed.
"Then, until twelve o'clock, there's nothing to do but go outand kill time," declared Reade.
"Twelve o'clock" repeated Dick. "You mean one o'clock."
"I mean twelve," retorted Tom, with emphasis. "At twelve youeat; you don't gorge, but you chew and swallow something nourishing.Then you'll be in fit shape for the little game of the afternoon."
Both of the chums had reason to realize the weight of their debtto jovial, helpful Reade; who was banishing care and keeping theirminds off their suspense. In fact time passed quickly until itwas time for Dick and Dave once more to part, to seek their separateexaminations.
Just forty of the boys who wanted to go to West Point had passedthe doctors as being presumably fit in body and general health.Twenty-seven of the Annapolis aspirants had passed the doctors.Already three dozen disappointed young Americans were on theirway home, their dream over.
Tom Reade chose to walk over to the local High School with Dick.Dave found his way alone to his place of examination.
Dick Prescott and the thirty-nine other aspirants were assembledin one of the class rooms at the High School. On each desk wasa supply of stationery. After the young men had been seated theexamination papers in English were passed around. This examinationDick thought absurdly easy. He finished his paper early, andread it through three times while waiting for the papers to becollected.
History was a bit harder, but Dick was not especially disturbedby it. Not quite so with geography. Dick had had no instructionin this branch since his grammar school days, and, though he hadbrushed up much of late on this subject, he found himself compelledto go slowly and thoughtfully. Arithmetic was not so hard; algebraa bit more puzzling.
It was after six o'clock when the examinations were finished,and all papers in. As fast as each examination was finished,however, the papers had been hurried off to the examiners andmarked.
Faithful Tom was waiting as Dick came out in the throng.
"Congratulations, old fellow!" cried Reade, holding out his hand.
"You've passed," announced Tom gravely.
"Why, the examiners haven't fin-----"
"They don't have to," snorted Tom. "I don't have to wait forthe opinions of mere examiners. You've passed, and won out, Itell you. Now let's go look for Dave."
It had been agreed that the three should meet, for supper, atthe same restaurant where they had lunched. Darrin was not thereyet. It was nearly seven o'clock when Dave came in, looking faggedand worried.
But Tom was up on his feet in an instant, darting toward Darrin.
"Didn't I tell you, old fellow?" demanded. Reade. "And mycongratulations!"
"If you hadn't been such a good fellow all day I might be cross,"sighed Dave. "Whee! But those examiners certainly did turn myhead inside out. Don't you see a few corners of the brain stillsloping over outside?"
"Cheer up," quoth Tom grimly. "Nothing doing. You haven't brainsenough to overflow. In fact, you've so few brains that I'm goingto do the ordering for your supper."
"Everything I can do, now, is over with, anyway," muttered Prescott."So I'm going to forget my troubles and enjoy this meal."
Dave tried to, also, but he was more worried, and could not whollybanish his gloom.
Tom succeeded in making the meal drag along until about ten minutesof eight. Then he led his friends from the restaurant and downthe street to the town hall.
Here, though most of the young men were already on hand, therewas nothing of boisterousness. Some were quiet; others were glum.All showed how much the result of the examinations meant to them.
But the time dragged fearfully. It was twenty minutes of ninewhen Congressman Spokes appeared on the platform and rapped fororder. He did not have to rap twice. In the stillness that followedthe Congressman's voice sounded thunderous.
"Young gentlemen, I now have the results from all the examiners,and the averages have been made up. I am now able to announcemy appointments to West Point and Annapolis."
Mr. Spokes paused an instant.
"For West Point," he announced, "My candidate will be-----RichardPrescott, of Gridley. The alternate will be-----"
But Dick Prescott didn't catch a syllable of the alternate's name,for his ears were buzzing. But now, for the first time, Tom Readewas most unsympathetically silent.
"For Annapolis, my candidate will be-----David Darrin, of Gridley.The alternate-----"
Neither did Darrin hear the name of his alternate. Dave's headwas reeling. He was sure it was a dream.
"Pinch me, Tom," he begged, in a hoarse whisper, and Readecomplied---heartily.
"T
he young men who have won the appointments as candidates andalternates will please come to see me at once, in the anteroom,"continued Congressman Spokes, who, however, lingered to addressa few words of tactful sympathy to the eager young Americans whohad tried and lost.
"Come along, now, and let's get this over with as quickly as possible,"grumbled Torn Reade. "This Congressman bores me."
"Bores you?" repeated Prescott, in a shocked voice. "What onearth do you mean?"
"I don't like his nerve," asserted Reade. "Here he is, givingout as if it were fresh, news that I announced two hours ago."
Congressman Spokes was waiting in the anteroom to shake handswith the winners. He congratulated the candidates most heartily,and cautioned the alternates that they also must be alert, asone or both of them might yet have a chance to pass on over theheads of the principal candidates.
Mr. Spokes then asked from each of the young men the name of hisschool principal, the address of his clergyman and of one businessman. These were references to whom Mr. Spokes would write atonce in order to inform himself that the lucky ones were youngmen of excellent character.
Then the Congressman wished the young men all the luck in theworld, and bade them good evening, after informing them that theywould hear, presently, from the Secretary of War with full instructionsfor West Point, and from the Secretary of the Navy for Annapolis.
"Fancy Phin Drayne passing in his references for the characterordeal!" chuckled Tom Reade, as the three chums walked down thestreet.
"What time does the next train leave for Gridley?" suddenly demandedDave.
"In twelve minutes," answered Tom, after looking at his watch.
"Let's run, then!" proposed Dave.
"We can mope, and have five minutes to spare," objected Reade.
"Let's run, just the same!" urged Dick Prescott.
The three chums broke into a run that brought them swiftly tothe station, red faced, laughing and happy.
"Oh, what a difference since the morning!" sang Dick blithely."Say, just think! West Point really for mine!"
"Bosh!" grunted Darrin happily. "I'm going to Annapolis!"
Then, as by a common impulse Dick and Dave seized Tom Reade byeither hand.
"Tom," uttered Dick huskily, "we owe you for a lot of the nerveand confidence that carried us through to-day!"
"Tom Reade," declared Darrin. tremulously, "you're the best andmost dependable fellow on earth!"
"Shut up, both of you," growled Reade, in a tone of disgust."You're getting as prosy as that Congressman---and that's themost insulting thing I can think of to say to either of you."
The train seemed fairly to fly home. It was keeping pace withthe happy spirits of the young men, who, at last, came to realizethat the great good news was actually true.
Neither Dick nor Dave could think of walking home from the station.They broke into a run. By and by they discovered that Tom Readewas, no longer with them.
"Now isn't that just like old Tom?" laughed Darrin, when he discoveredthat their friend was missing. "Well, anyway, I can't wait.Here's where our roads branch, Dick, old fellow. And say! Aren'twe the lucky simpletons? Good night, old chum!"
Dick fairly raced into the bookstore conducted by his parents.He almost upset a customer who was leaving with a package underhis arm.
"Dad!" whispered Dick, leaning briefly over the counter and layinga hand on Mr. Prescott's shoulder. "I passed and won! I'm goingto West Point!"
A look of intense happiness wreathed his father's face and tearsglistened in his eyes. But Dick raced on into the back room,where he found his mother.
"All the luck in the land is mine, mother!" he whispered, bendingover and kissing her. "I won out! I go to West Point when themonth of March comes!"
Mrs. Prescott was upon her feet, her arms around her boy. Shedidn't say much, but she didn't need to. After a moment Dickdisengaged himself.
"Mother, Laura Bentley will be glad to know this news. She'sat the ball of the senior class to-night, but I'll see if I canget her father on the 'phone, and tell him the news for her."
But presently it was Laura's own sweet voice that answered overthe wire.
"You?" demanded Dick. "Why, I thought you'd be at the ball!"
"Did you think I could be happy all the evening, wondering howyou were coming on with your great wish?" asked Laura quietly."Say, oh, Dick! How did you come out?"