The next day was Sunday, one of those beautiful early spring days for which Annapolis is justly noted. The trees were coming into full bud, and soft, balmy airs made one regret there were rules and regulations to be governed by, when one’s heart longed for the fresh woods. As usual this Sunday morning was a busy one for Ralph. After breakfast he had to prepare his room for the commandant’s inspection, and later came that officer’s inspection of all midshipmen in battalion formation. And when this had finished the battalion marched to chapel. It must be admitted that on this morning Ralph Osborn paid but little heed to the beloved chaplain’s words, or to the singing or prayers. He was uneasy in mind and feared the scene he knew he had soon to face in the commandant’s office.

Directly after the service had finished and the midshipmen were dismissed, Ralph was ordered to report to the commandant’s office.

“Mr. Osborn,” said the commandant, “I have received a report against you for leaving academic limits without permission. Is this report correct, sir?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Ralph.

“Then all I can say, sir, is that I am more than astonished. I am chagrined. We are trying to inculcate in midshipmen’s minds a sense of duty and responsibility, and here you, a second classman, nearly a first classman, and to make matters worse, number one man in your class, deliberately defy the regulations and commit one of the most serious breaches of discipline. I am chagrined because I had depended on you as one of the strong men in your class for the good. A man to lead and influence others. In fact I had bragged about you. You are helping to make this place a failure, sir; you can have no appreciation of what the government is doing for you. I am disappointed in you, sir.”

With burning face, but saying nothing, Ralph listened to the commandant’s scathing reprimand.

“Well, you will be punished, of course. You will receive fifty demerits and will be restricted to the academic limits until June first. But your punishment will be more than this. There is no question whatever but that you would have been next year appointed cadet lieutenant-commander of the battalion. I am glad we know how utterly you defy the regulations, disappointed as I am in you. I assure you that when cadet officers are selected from your class next September your name will not be considered. That will do, sir.”

Ralph was glad it was over and that he knew the worst. He had sacrificed more than he had thought about; that the commandant had already in his mind selected Ralph for the highest cadet office was a pleasing thought, and he bitterly regretted that Bollup’s conduct had cost him this; yet not for a minute was he sorry he had saved Bollup, even at this great sacrifice.

“What did the commandant say?” asked Himski eagerly, when Ralph had reached his room.

“He knocked me hard,” Ralph replied; “gave me fifty demerits and two months’ restriction. But look here, Himski, he said I would have been the next four striper;[9] what do you think of that? But now he has promised me a clean sleeve.”[10]

“Too bad,” said Himski. “I had spotted you for our next four striper. But I hope you are not sorry,” he added.

“I’m sorry I had to do it,” replied Ralph, “not sorry that I did it.”

“Of course, that’s the right spirit.”

Ralph’s classmates were much surprised the next day when his name figured on the conduct report for “Frenching,” and much curiosity was displayed about the matter. But he refused to discuss it with anybody, much to Bollup’s astonishment. The latter was much puzzled; in his mind he connected Ralph’s offense with his own disgraceful conduct and tried by every means to learn the cause of Ralph’s act, but with no success.

Ralph didn’t mind his restriction. It simply meant that he couldn’t go out in the town of Annapolis nor call at officers’ houses, and neither of these deprivations proved much of a punishment. He was able to attend the baseball games and shell races on Saturday afternoons, and didn’t mind the restriction a bit.

His great ambition was to stand first in his class, and as each month’s marks were posted it was certain he would be number one by a large margin; it now looked likely that for the second class year Bollup would stand number two, Himski number three, and Creelton number four.

With no untoward incidents this second class year drew to a close. Studies and examinations had finished, and, as was expected, Ralph led his class. This gave him much satisfaction which was augmented by the pleasure his nearest competitors, Bollup and Himski, expressed when the result became known. Midshipmen were already speculating as to who the next four striper and other senior cadet officers of the next October would be: but in all of the lists prepared Ralph’s name had no place. Though first in his class it was certain he would be a clean sleever. Sometimes this was a matter of regret to him, but he always put this thought aside, thinking of the great good he had done Bollup.

Most midshipmen believed that the next four striper would be Bollup or Himski. Both had high class rank and attractive personalities; but the appointments of cadet officers would not be made until the completion of the summer cruise.

It was now the first of June, the beginning of the last week of the scholastic year. The week was spent in drills before the Annual Board of Visitors, and all the Academy was on exhibition.

On the first of the week, Mr. Thomas G. Short, of New York, Saratoga and other places, arrived at Annapolis. His coming was very unostentatious; he signed the hotel register as Goodwin and then went to his room. He avoided all other guests, had his meals served in his room, and was not recognized by anybody. At about eight o’clock of this Monday evening, Creelton, who had evidently been apprised of Short’s coming, was admitted into the latter’s room. An effusive greeting occurred, and enthusiastic references were made of incidents that happened the previous September when Creelton had been Short’s guest on a yachting trip.

“We’ll have the same trip again this next September, old boy,” said Short.

“Bully,” cried Creelton in delight; “I had a glorious time last September. You’re awfully good to me, Short. Hello, what have you got a midshipman’s uniform on for?”

Short had thrown off his outer garments and quickly drew on a pair of dark navy blue trousers, and then put on a jacket.

“I had these made at Wright and Duvel’s, on Broadway; they fit me pretty well, don’t they?” Short now tried on a cap, and then put it on his trunk, and put on a pair of white lisle thread gloves.

“I should say so,” ejaculated Creelton in great surprise. “But how in the world can you have any use for midshipmen’s clothes, Tom?”

“Oh, I just thought I’d have a little fun, that’s all. I’m going to walk around in the dark and imagine I’m a midshipman. Bill, suppose you try on this cit’s suit; I want to see how it will fit you.”

“What for?”

“Oh, just for fun. It won’t hurt you just to try it on.”

Creelton was very curious as to what Short was up to, but feeling no harm could result from his trying on this suit of clothes he threw off his uniform, and was soon in the suit Short had handed him.

“What a beautiful suit of clothes,” he exclaimed. “The cloth is grand. And, Short, it fits me just as if it had been made for me; it’s a perfect fit.” And Creelton turned round and round in front of the glass, casting delighted eyes at his own image in the mirror.

“It ought to be,” said Short. “I had your measure, you know, and ordered that suit made to fit you. I gave Wright and Duvel sixty dollars for it.”

“Short, this is lovely of you. I’ll have a lot of fun inside of this suit next September.”

“Try on this neck scarf,” said Short, handing Creelton a gorgeous four-in-hand tie. The latter eagerly put it on, spending some time in adjusting it. Then Short handed Creelton a hat which fitted him nicely, and then, to his great surprise, stood in front of him and working quickly, affixed to Creelton’s upper lip and chin a thick mustache and goatee. With a pair of heavy gold-rimmed spectacles, Creelton’s disguise was indeed complete.

The latter uttered exclamations of delight as he surveyed himself in the glass. “Why, Short,” he exclaimed, “I wouldn’t be afraid to walk right before the commandant in this get up; no one would ever know me. I’d just as lief go anywhere. What fun it would be!”

“Come on then,” said Short. Grabbing the midshipman’s cap from his open trunk he threw open the door, and in a moment both young men were in the hotel corridor and soon in the street.

“What a lark,” laughed Creelton, hugely enjoying himself. “Where shall we go, Tom?”

“Anywhere, I don’t care. Who are those midshipmen coming along, ahead of us?”

“It’s too dark to see; they’re evidently out for a saunter.”

“I’ll turn my head as they pass. I don’t care to take any chances of being recognized,” remarked Short, doing so as the two midshipmen passed them.

“Did you see who they were?” asked Creelton impressively.

“No. Why, do I know them?”

“They were your particular friends, Osborn and Bollup. They looked right at me, and didn’t know me from Adam.” And Creelton chuckled.

“Let’s see where they go,” said Short, and turning around they followed slowly after Ralph and Bollup.

It was Ralph’s first day of freedom, for that morning his two months of restriction had been completed; and in the evening having liberty, he and Bollup wandered about the streets of the ancient city.

“I wonder who that swell is,” remarked Ralph, as Creelton and Short passed them.

“I never saw him before; probably some out-of-town stranger here for June week.”

“Who was the midshipman with him, did you notice?”

“No; I was too busy looking at the swell.”

They now lazily turned into the grounds about the state capitol building, and soon sat down on an iron bench and talked about the coming cruise, and the delightful September leave that was to follow, which Ralph was to spend at Hampden Grove.

Some distance away Creelton and Short were observing them. Then Short said: “Bill, I want a little fun. When I once thought I was going to spend four years in this uniform I conjured up lots of fun in thinking how I might haze plebes after I had been made a third classman. Now you fellows sometimes run candidates a little, don’t you?”

“You bet we do, and the candidates like it.”

“Well, can’t you steer me against some candidate who I can have a little fun with?”

“Yes, indeed. I know one who’d rather be hazed than have a dish of ice cream. He’ll do anything anybody who has a uniform on tells him to do.”

“Good; he’ll think I’m a midshipman in this rig. Is he apt to be far from here?”

“No, we passed him on Maryland Avenue; he was in a bookstore looking at some magazines.”

“All right, let’s go and fix him. I’m out for fun to-night.”

Fifteen or twenty minutes later three young men entered the capitol grounds. One was in midshipman uniform, one was stylishly dressed, wore spectacles, mustache and goatee. The third was of a class that swarms into Annapolis at certain times of the year, in other words a candidate.

“That’s the fellow,” said the young man in uniform to the candidate; “he’s on the bench over there; there are two of them. I want you to play the joke on the one nearest this end; do you see who I mean?”

“Yes, sir, I’ve seen him before; he’s number one man in the second class, sir.”

“That’s right. Now you know just what to say and what to do?”

“Indeed I do, sir, and I promise you I’ll do my part in the joke.”

“All right, it’s just a joke; he played one on me and I want to get even with him. He’ll laugh over it just as much as you do, but if you do it right I’ll be the best friend you ever had at the Naval Academy after you get in. What is your name?”

“Frank Chappell, sir. I’ll play this joke well, depend upon me, sir.”

“All right, go ahead; we’ll be with you in a few minutes and join in the laugh and I’ll explain I was running you; that will make it all right with the man you play the joke on.”

“Yes, sir; you just watch me and see how well I play it.”

Ralph and Bollup still sat on the iron bench in the state capitol grounds lazily talking over the three years that had passed. Both were about to become first classmen, the great goal of all midshipmen, and they were correspondingly elated.

“Os, you’ve never told me why you Frenched that night two months ago. Why did you do it old man? You had four stripes cinched up to then, but I’m afraid that spot has killed your chances for anything. Something happened to me that day which would have killed my chances had it become known, but I was luckier than you were. Why did you French, Os?”

Before Ralph had a chance to reply, they were rudely interrupted by an utter stranger, a young man of slender build, about eighteen or nineteen years old, suddenly sitting down on the bench between the two, crowding Ralph over to one side. “You don’t own all of this bench, do you?” he asked Ralph in insolent tones.

Ralph jumped up, angry clear through.

“What do you mean,” he cried, “and who are you?”

“I’m a candidate, old boy,” replied the youth, “and you’re a midshipman. You’ll be standing me on my head in a couple of weeks but you can’t do it now.” With that he deliberately put out his hand and pinched Ralph’s leg so hard that it really hurt him.

Ralph now lost his temper completely and drew back his fist to strike the insolent candidate, but it went against his grain to strike a man sitting down; and instead he passionately cried: “Get on your head, you bag of cheek; I’ll teach you a thing or two before you’re much older.”

The candidate was on his head in a flash and stayed there till Ralph ordered him to his feet. In the meantime Bollup had watched this episode with much surprise; as the candidate regained his feet Bollup sprang to his and seizing Ralph’s arm said: “Come along,” and Ralph went with him. He was still very indignant.

“I wish I had punched his face,” he grumbled to Bollup; “he needed it.”

“You can’t afford such luxuries, Os,” remarked the other. “I’m sorry you put the man on his head.” They now walked toward the Academy both very quiet and Ralph ill at ease. This was actually the only time he had ever hazed anybody and he began to repent having given way to his anger.

That night he told the whole occurrence to Himski. The latter first asked many questions, and then relapsed into deep thoughtfulness.

Two days later after dinner, while Ralph was in his room, the midshipman officer of the day flung open the door, and called out in a loud tone: “Osborn, report to the superintendent immediately.”

“I wonder what for?” said Ralph uneasily to Himski. The latter made no comment and Ralph left the room with a sickening feeling. He saw Bollup was ahead of him, bound in the same direction.