IT WAS STONEWELL

"Good-morning, Mr. Drake," said the commandant, pleasantly enough. "I'm surprised that you haven't been to me with a report before now—that is, unless Grice has made some great mistake. He has told me that you and he caught two midshipmen last night attempting to steal an examination—he says he knows who they are, but seems afraid to give their names. Who are they, Mr. Drake?"

Commander Dalton was grave and impassive. He spoke to Robert as one officer might to another on an official matter; his manner betokened an expectation on his part of receiving an absolutely frank report from the cadet lieutenant.

Instead of making any reply Robert approached the desk at which the commandant was sitting and handed him a folded sheet of paper.

"Who were the midshipmen, Mr. Drake? Or did you fail to recognize them?" And then after a pause, with a trace of annoyance in his voice due to Robert's backwardness in answering his questions, "Or is Grice's report incorrect?"

He looked at Robert with surprise as the latter made no effort whatever to reply. He then opened the paper and cried out in amazement: "You tender your resignation as a midshipman? What does this mean, sir? I have asked you certain questions which you do not answer, and then you resign. Come, Mr. Drake, explain yourself, sir! First tell me if Grice's statement is correct. Do you refuse to answer, sir?"

Still Robert was silent; he looked at the commandant with gloomy, troubled eyes.

"Mr. Drake, are you aware of what you are doing? Don't you know that persistence in this course will cause your summary dismissal?"

"Don't dismiss him, capting," cried out old Grice, now in great trouble about Robert. "He's a fine young gemman, 'deed he is, suh. I'll tell yo' who dese young gemmen wuz; he doan' want to tell yo', but I'll tell yo', capting, suh; dey wuz Mistah Stonewell and Mistah Harry Blunt, suh. I seed 'em, suh, and Mistah Drake seed 'em, and Mistah Drake doan' want ter tole yo', suh, becase——"

The commandant jumped from his chair as if he had been shot. "What are you talking about? You're demented!" he roughly cried. "Do you know who you are talking about? Do you know that Mr. Stonewell is cadet commander? Grice, you must be crazy!"

"Yes, suh, capting, suh; beggin' yo' pardin, suh, dat's why I didn't tole yo' befoah, suh. I knowed you'd say ole Grice wuz surely crazy; but de fax am, capting, that Mistah Stonewell, in his unerform—I counted de five gold stripes on his sleeve, suh, at de time—and Mistah Harry Blunt, the son of de ole commerdan', at 'bout 'leven 'clock las' night tried to steal a zamnation. I seed dem try, and Mistah Drake, he seen 'em try ter steal it. An' ef yo' doan' believe me, capting, yo' ask Mistah Drake; he knows Mistah Stonewell tried to steal the zamnation 'kase he seen him. Yo' ask Mistah Drake, capting."

"Mr. Drake," cried Commander Dalton, "you have heard this monstrous charge; I'm waiting for your indignant denial! Why are you silent? Are you mute, when you hear the character of the first midshipman of his time so shamefully assailed? You shall answer me! Do you understand that this negro says that you and he together saw Mr. Stonewell and Mr. Blunt attempt to steal an examination last night? Do you hear that, and are you silent, sir?"

Commander Dalton's manner was vehement and intimidating. "What have you to say, sir?" he thundered, slamming a clinched fist with a bang on his desk.

With parched lips and in trembling accents Robert commenced to speak. Four years of the strictest training urged him to yield to the commandant's order; but Robert had expected this and had tried to prepare himself for it.

"As I have handed in my resignation, sir," he faltered, "I respectfully request that I be not asked any questions. This is all I can say, sir." The commandant dropped into his chair; he looked sorrowfully at Robert, and then in an altered tone said:

"Mr. Drake, you and Mr. Stonewell are close friends, are you not?"

"He has been more to me than a brother could have been, sir," replied Robert, in a broken voice. And then in an effort to control his feelings he turned his back on the commandant and with blinding tears in his eyes looked through the window in front of him at the mournful, steady rain without.

Captain Dalton picked up a telephone and said, "Central, give me number twenty-seven. Hello, is this Captain Blunt?"

"Yes, the commandant of midshipmen."

"Blunt, can you come to my office immediately? A most serious charge has been made against your son."

Then he rang for his orderly and said: "Tell the officer-in-charge I won't inspect this morning, and tell him to send Midshipman Blunt to my office immediately."

When Harry Blunt walked in the office, instead of his usual debonair manner, there was a look of worry and anxiety on his face.

"Wait a few minutes, Mr. Blunt. Beckwith, excuse me while I write something."

Harry Blunt glanced at Robert and at the others; several times he looked as if he were about to say something, but he did not.

It was not long before Captain Blunt appeared; he jumped out of an automobile that had stopped before the Academy steps, and fairly ran up them and into the commandant's office. Commander Dalton rose to greet him with a worried expression.

"Captain Blunt," he began, "a week ago Mr. Drake reported to me that Grice informed him two midshipmen were planning to steal an examination in mathematics; I told Mr. Drake to ascertain who these midshipmen were if he could. This morning Grice reported to his department head, Beckwith, that he and Mr. Drake had caught two midshipmen in the act of stealing this examination. Grice was afraid to tell who they were; he said Mr. Drake could. I sent for Mr. Drake and asked him who they were, and if Grice's statement was true. Instead of replying Mr. Drake hands me this paper. Read it. Then Grice made the most astounding statement I have ever heard. He says the midshipmen were Mr. Stonewell and Mr. Harry Blunt."

"Impossible!" exclaimed Captain Blunt.

"And when Grice made this statement Mr. Drake remained silent, and he still remains so."

"Impossible!" again exclaimed Captain Blunt, in an agony of spirit. "Harry, my boy, say it is false."

"He cain't, Capting Blunt, he cain't, becase I seed him; an' Mistah Drake, he seed him too, suh," broke in old Grice, feeling that he had to substantiate his charge. "Mr. Stonewell was in unerform, suh. Mr. Harry Blunt wuz in citerzens' close; he had on an ole brown hat and he wore whiskers, but I knowed him; I done seen Mr. Harry afore in dem same close."

"When and where?" demanded Commander Dalton.

"In Capting Blunt's kitchen, suh; I wuz er passin' by the house at night when all midshipmen is supposed to be studyin', and I seed a man in the kitchen. I seed him take off dem whiskers and de hat an' I seed it wuz Mr. Harry Blunt. Yo' ask him, suh. An' I seed him 'nother time, suh. Capting, yo' 'member that time at de theatre, heah, when a man stood up in a box an' says, 'Three groans for de superintendent an' commandan''? Dat wuz Mistah Harry Blunt too, suh; I wuz dar. I didn't know it at de time, but when I seen Mistah Harry in Capting Blunt's kitchen I knowed it then, 'cose he had on de same hat an' coat an' whiskers. Ef yo' doan' believe me yo' ask him, suh; an' las' night Mistah Stonewell calls him Harry. I heard him an' Mistah Drake heard him. An' ef yo' looks in Mistah Harry Blunt's room I spect yo'll find them whiskers an' coat."

Beads of perspiration burst out on Captain Blunt's forehead. He tried to speak, but his voice choked in his throat. That this disgrace was to come upon him after a lifetime of honorable service in the navy was hard, but that the pride and hope of his life, his son Harry, could be guilty of so vile an act, was an unbearable thought; he looked at Harry. Frightened and appealing, the latter cried: "Father, I deny that——"

"Keep still; don't say a word," called out Captain Blunt; then turning to the commandant he said: "My son is in a terrible position, Dalton; he might be tempted to falsehood. I want to save him from that, at least. Before we go any further I want to ask you to have his room searched—I would like to be present when it is."

The commandant sent for the officer-in-charge, and directed him to take a cadet officer and search Harry Blunt's room. Captain Blunt left with the officer-in-charge. It was not long before they returned, and the cadet officer carried with him a bundle composed of a citizen's coat, hat and trousers, and a false beard.

"Put them on," ordered Captain Blunt, harshly, to his son. The latter did so mechanically.

"Will you please send for some midshipman who was at the theatre that night?"

"All of the first class were there, and most of the officers. I'll send for Mr. Farnum and Mr. Blair."

When these two midshipmen came in, Captain Blunt said: "Take a look at this man; have you ever seen him before?"

Blair and Farnum recognized him immediately. The heavy dark pointed beard and moustache once seen were not likely to be forgotten, particularly when seen under such startling circumstances as they first had been at the theatre on the night Penfield played Richard the Third.

"He's the man who gave three groans for the superintendent and commandant," cried Farnum, excitedly.

"He's the man, sir; there is no doubt of it," said Blair.

"That will do, gentlemen," returned the commandant; "you will not speak of this to any one."

Captain Blunt sat up straight and rigid in his chair; his face had turned an ashen gray. The greatest sorrow of his life was upon him. "Mr. Drake," he said after a moment, "have you ever seen my son in this disguise? Did you detect him trying to steal an examination? I wish a direct answer." His voice sounded strange and harsh.

"I have resigned, sir; I request to be excused from answering any questions," was Robert's reply.

Commander Dalton looked sorrowfully at his brother officer, but made no comment, while Harry Blunt regarded Robert with intense surprise, stupefaction, fear and amazement.

Robert, inert and dull, gazing idly out of the window, suddenly gave a start and looked up with interest and expectancy as the office door was opened, and a midshipman entered.

"Good-morning, sir," said the newcomer; "I have to report my return from two days' leave."

The midshipman was Stonewell.