COMMANDER DALTON BECOMES ANGRY

"This matter isn't settled yet, sir," continued Stonewell. "A man accused has a right to offer a defense: I insist on that right. First, I am not guilty. I shall have no trouble in proving my innocence. I shall leave your office for a few minutes and will return with the proof of that innocence. And as I have been charged with scandalous acts in the presence of everybody here in your office, I have to request that they all remain until I return and that no further action be taken until I am back."

"Just a moment, Mr. Stonewell," called out the commandant, but the former, paying no attention to this order, hurriedly left the office.

Commander Dalton looked undecided. "I don't understand this at all. Mr. Stonewell should not have left at this time."

"I think you had better let him go, Dalton; he is entitled to present a defense if he has one," observed Captain Blunt.

"Of course, but he had the opportunity right here; Blunt, do you wish to question your son?"

"After Mr. Stonewell returns I would like a chance to talk privately with Harry and with Mr. Drake."

"Father," started Harry Blunt, appealingly, "I will admit that——"

"Keep quiet, will you?" interrupted his father fiercely. "Dalton, I don't want my boy to say a word. Look at him; he is entirely unstrung, and in his condition I fear he may be tempted to untruth. Bad as things are, I must save him from that if I can."

"Father," pleaded Harry, imploringly, "let me speak—I deny that——"

"Harry, don't say a word. There is no hurry about this; Dalton, have you any objection to my having a private talk now with my son?"

"None at all, Captain Blunt. Take him into this rear office."

When the captain passed Robert on his way to the rear office, he said to him sadly: "Mr. Drake, don't hesitate to tell the facts; you have proved you will not tell an untruth, that you will resign sooner than do so. But don't spoil your whole career by trying to defend one so unworthy as my son has proved to be. And if you have any notion, as implied by Mr. Stonewell's words, that you are under obligations to me, I assure you there is no such debt; and even if you feel that there is one, I freely absolve you from it. Come, Mr. Drake, have you seen Harry in that disguise? Was he the one guilty of that shameful insult to the superintendent and commandant? Did you detect a person in that disguise in the act of stealing an examination last night? These are now my questions, Mr. Drake, not the commandant's; I beg of you to answer them frankly."

"Thank you, Captain Blunt," replied Robert, huskily; "but I have resigned, and I request to be excused from answering questions." Captain Blunt passed out of the room with his son. Commander Beckwith now excused himself for a few minutes, and there remained in the room only Robert, Grice and the commandant. The latter busied himself writing, with never a glance at Robert. Old Grice rolled his eyes, fearfully apprehending some disaster to himself.

All the midshipmen were out of the building, and absolute stillness, save for the mournful tick-tock of the clock, reigned in Bancroft Hall. Outside the rain came down steadily, and Robert Drake felt burdened with a hopeless sadness. He now fully realized that his silence would in no way help or save Stonewell or Harry Blunt; that its only result would be his own dismissal; and yet there was not in his mind any tinge of regret that he had refused to disclose what he knew. Better to go out and commence over again than to stay in by taking part in the disgrace of Stonewell and Captain Blunt's son. In regard to Stonewell, Robert's mind was in a state of disordered confusion. Stonewell's manner and bearing were at utter variance with the idea of guilt; as much so as had been his previous character. And it was inconceivable that anything imaginable could have induced him to steal an examination. And so the long minutes passed with Robert's mind going through a bewildered maze.

Commander Beckwith was the first to return, saying as he came in the door: "I have been with the officer-in-charge; but I see Mr. Stonewell is returning; he'll be here in a moment."

"Come in the office, please," called out the commandant, to Captain Blunt, and when the latter returned accompanied by Harry, he looked about as bewildered and perplexed as he did before he left.

When Stonewell left the commandant's office it was at a dead run. Outside of Bancroft Hall he gave no heed to the "Keep-off-the-grass" signs; he plunged over the lawn toward Maryland Avenue gate at more than football speed. Just outside the gate was a public automobile. He jumped into it crying: "Conduit Street. Rush for your life; I'll double your fare."

When Stonewell returned to the commandant's office, he was followed by another young man in midshipman's uniform. And strange to say the young man's coat had five golden stripes on his sleeve—strange because there is but one cadet commander at a time at the Naval Academy.

"Captain, this is my brother, Frank Stonewell," said Stonewell simply.

"Your brother, Frank Stonewell!" ejaculated Commander Dalton, in tones of stupefied amazement, "Your brother, Frank Stonewell!" he repeated in the same manner. He looked at Stonewell and then at his brother Frank and was speechless.

"Oh, Stone!" cried Robert Drake, with joy radiating his face. "Oh, Stone, how could I have doubted you?"

"Mr. Drake, I don't blame you for mistaking Mr. Frank Stonewell for his brother; if that is what you did," finally said the commandant; for the likeness of the two brothers was marvelous, and the resemblance even extended to the tones of their voices. They were of the same height and build. Frank Stonewell had the same expression, the same features as had his brother. Seeing them together one could detect a difference, but apart one would certainly be taken for the other.

"I was in Washington last night, sir. I spent the night at the house of my congressman, Mr. Blake. We were talking together between ten and eleven o'clock. You will have no trouble in ascertaining whether or not this statement is correct. My brother was in Annapolis at that time. He has been here for some weeks, living in Conduit Street. I have not told him why he was wanted here nor have we talked about what may have happened last night. Perhaps he may imagine. Whatever he may have done, I believe you may accept his statement as truthful."

"Will you please tell me, sir, what you are doing in that uniform?" demanded the commandant in a stern tone.

"I was sitting in my room when my brother John bolted in and pulled me out in a rush. He gave me no time to change."

"Where did you get that uniform?"

"Oh, it's John's. He has come out frequently to see me and brought it over one day. It's much more comfortable to sit about in than that bobtailed stiff jacket midshipmen wear."

"Humph! Two midshipmen were seen stealing an examination last night. One was recognized to be your brother. What have you to say to that, sir?"

"Do you believe that, sir?"

"I believe it to such an extent that I told him he would be dismissed from the Naval Academy for scandalous crimes. I accused him also of lying and of being a shameless hypocrite."

"I think you have an apology to make, captain, if that is your title," remarked Frank Stonewell, in great good nature. "John was in Washington last night. And John isn't that kind of a fellow; evidently you don't know him."

"Well, if your brother didn't do it, then you did."

"You may find some trouble in proving that."

"Mr. Drake, was this the man you saw last night?" shouted the commandant angrily to Robert.

Before he had finished his question, Stonewell said quickly to his brother, in a low imperative tone: "Acknowledge it, Frank. Don't force Drake either to refuse to answer or to tell on you."

"I was the man, I acknowledge it," quickly interposed Frank Stonewell.

"You are a brother to be proud of, aren't you?" announced the commandant scornfully. "In your brother's absence, donning his uniform, you committed a despicable act, trusting if caught that his uniform and the marked resemblance you bear to him would throw the blame and shame on him."

"Not at all, captain," replied Frank Stonewell, in an easy manner as one talking socially with a friend; and it was a sharp contrast to the deference and crisp military replies of the others. "Not at all; you mistake the purpose of my wearing his uniform. It was to permit me to be about the grounds and buildings at night; as a civilian the watchmen would have fired me out; but rigged up in this way I would never be questioned. And as for throwing blame or shame on him; before he came for me this morning I knew I might have been seen and mistaken for him. No blame could come to him because I have been ready to acknowledge the facts."

"You are brazen, sir; you have done a shameful deed, you have disgraced your brother. But I am glad to know that the shame I thought was his belongs to you. I am indeed relieved to know he is guiltless. I pity him for the burden of disgrace in having such a brother."

"Pardon me, captain. This is something of an academic question. What may be shameful for John or any other midshipman is not necessarily so to a civilian owing no allegiance to your Naval Academy. I have never lied or cheated, I have never broken a promise—I have never done a dishonorable act. I admit having engaged in some quiet larks at college, and other places—this is one of them, that's all."

"You are a burglar; you could be sent to prison."

"Oh, I think not, captain; I think you'd have hard work to convince any jury of that."

The commandant was furious; Frank Stonewell was cool and entirely self-possessed and not at all intimidated. None of the others present attempted to say a word. Robert Drake listened with absorbing interest. A great load had been lifted from him, and in spite of his own unfortunate position great happiness had suddenly come to him in the knowledge that John Stonewell's character was as clean and true as he had always believed it to be.

"If you have cleared your brother, Mr. Frank Stonewell, there is one person you cannot clear, and that is the contemptible midshipman who was with you," vehemently exclaimed the commandant.

Frank Stonewell was silent.

"Do you deny, sir, that a midshipman accompanied you last night?"

"I will answer only such questions as concern myself," replied Frank decidedly.

"I know your companion, sir, and I'll show him to you." And turning abruptly toward Harry Blunt he exclaimed, "Come over here, and let Mr. Frank Stonewell look at you."

As Frank looked up into Harry Blunt's face, he said coolly enough, "Who are you?"

"Who is he?" almost shouted Commander Dalton. "Do you mean to say you don't know who he is?"

"I never saw him before in my life. What has he to do with this matter?"

"He's Harry, the Harry you spoke to last night."

"Harry? Harry who? I never spoke to him in my life."

"He's the Harry of the false beard, the Harry who proposed three groans for the superintendent and commandant, the Harry who accompanied you last night, for whom you tried to steal an examination."

"Oh, I think not. I don't know who this chap is; he was not with me last night; I never saw him before. Look here, captain, I hope you navigate better than you investigate," rejoined Frank Stonewell, in a disgusted tone; "if you don't I fear you will bump into every rock that is hanging about loose."

"Mr. Stonewell," said Commander Dalton to the cadet commander, "you told me your brother would speak the truth. Now, Mr. Frank Stonewell," he continued, "your companion was a midshipman disguised in this beard and with this coat and hat on. He was recognized by this colored man who had seen Mr. Harry Blunt at one time remove this disguise. There is every reason to believe that Mr. Drake had previously seen Mr. Blunt in this disguise. Mr. Drake evidently believed he saw your brother last night, and also Mr. Blunt, but he has refused to answer about either, for which he will be dismissed. I will add that this disguise was found in Mr. Blunt's room. Now, what have you to say about this matter?"

Frank, with all the appearance of keen interest, listened to the commandant. "I would say that Drake is a bully good chap," he burst out enthusiastically, "a fellow to tie to; this must be a queer place if you fire such a fellow for standing by a chum. John has told me that Drake was the very best fellow who ever lived," he ran on. "I guess he's all right," and Frank looked over at Robert and gave him a friendly nod.

The commandant looked the rage he felt and no doubt would have liked to inflict the punishment of double irons upon this insolent, effervescent trifler. He darted an extinguishing glance upon him and turned toward Captain Blunt and said:

"Captain Blunt, I can get nothing from this man. Do you wish to ask him any questions?"

"I do indeed, Dalton. Mr. Stonewell, Mr. Blunt is my son. He stands accused of having attempted, while in your company, and while in this disguise, to steal an examination. My son admits that the disguise is his property, and has been for months; but he most solemnly assures me he was not with you last night, that he was not out of this building after seven o'clock. For this offense, of which you say he is guiltless, he stands recommended to be dismissed. Now I call upon you to state who was the man that was with you."

"Your son was not with me; I shall make no further statement than that."

"Do you mean that you would allow an innocent person to be punished?"

"I mean I will tell the truth. I never saw your son to my knowledge till I entered this office. If after my statement the authorities dismiss him the fault is theirs, not mine. I should regret to see this done, but I shall not try to find somebody to take his place."

"But how do you account for my son being recognized as the person with you?"

Frank Stonewell seized the hat and beard and quickly hooked the latter over his ears. He then suddenly assumed a bent-over position and leaning over toward Grice said: "Did you ever see me before?"

"Fer goodness' sake, suh, I does berlieve yo' wuz de young gemman in dose whiskers."

Tossing the hat and beard to one side Frank Stonewell laughed and said: "It was the beard and hat that were recognized, not your son, sir." Hardly had he spoken when the door of the commandant's office opened, and a midshipman entered unannounced.

"What is it, sir? Why do you enter my office without permission?" inquired the commandant.

"I think I'm needed in this investigation, sir," replied the midshipman, a tall, broad-shouldered young man, athletic of build, of rather pleasant features, and with stern resolution written in his face.

"I am Midshipman Bligh of the fourth class."