Meanwhile, the other girls in Betty’s “quartette” were having no such harrowing experiences. Cathalina was having a better talk with her friend, Captain Van Horne, than had been possible when they were together in New York. During the introductory half hour in the parlors they had been with a group of the young friends. But there was the walk in the moonlight together to the gymnasium, and seats there apart from their more intimate friends, as it happened.

“Has any one told you,” asked Cathalina, “that the Norths are moving to New York?”

“No, Miss Van Buskirk, but Richard North gave me a hint of it when we had some conversation at your home one evening. He has a fine opportunity, going in with that firm of experienced lawyers.”

“How are you getting on with your studies?”

“I have little time that I can call my own here, of course, but am accomplishing a little. I am more familiar with the work here than I was last year, and like the boys. We have a good class of fellows in this school. The commandant is strict, but rather human, on the whole, and just. The boys all have confidence in him. His discipline stands back of the instructors, too, and we feel that we shall be supported in anything that is fair and square.”

“That must help, of course,” said Cathalina thoughtfully. “I don’t know the first thing about discipline. Whatever goes on at Greycliff most of us girls know nothing about.”

“Military discipline is a good thing for boys.”

“Yes. Father says that it is the finest kind of ‘athletics,’ too, for they don’t shuffle and swing themselves around, but get the habit fixed of the erect carriage that is so splendid.” Cathalina was enthusiastic now. “Oh, there they come!” Like Betty and the rest of the girls, Cathalina felt the quickening of interest and the inspiration which came with the music and the marching feet. “Don’t they look fine! Help me pick out the ones we know, Captain Van Horne. Wasn’t that Donald Hilton? I wonder where Betty is?”

“Over there with Captain Holley and his sister.”

“I see. Poor Betty.”

“Why ‘poor’?”

“She doesn’t like him.”

“She is laughing and seems to be having a good time.”

“Oh, she would. Besides, you would have a good time with anybody here.”

Captain Van Horne gave her an amused glance, lifting his brows as if to inquire if it made no difference to her with whom she came.

Cathalina caught his glance, understood it, and added with a smile, “But it is very much nicer to be with congenial company!”

“Have I ever told you how much I appreciated your being so good to me last summer?”

“Why, yes, you made the most pleasant of remarks whenever you left our little circle.”

“But it was more than just the ordinary appreciation of courtesy, Miss Van Buskirk. It was like heaven out at your place to a fellow who was staying in a hot room in town and studying and working away as I was. And to get out there, and eat ambrosia with a bevy of goddesses, was, indeed, to visit Olympus, especially when the chief goddess was as kind as you.”

“You are very flattering, Captain Van Horne. I think I never was called a goddess before,” said Cathalina, laughing. “I wanted to have a better visit with you myself, but I was hostess, you know, and had so many folks to look after.”

“I knew that, but I never could refuse any of your invitations.”

“We wanted you to be there as much as possible. At a house party, you know, one has to put a good deal in a short time. I hope we did not take too much of your time.”

“No, indeed; I just existed till the next time. I think I was out at your place every day while you were there, either for dinner, a party or a call!”

“Well, you had to make your party calls, didn’t you?”

“That is the explanation, of course. How cleverly you put it. May I make a ‘party call’ after this?”

“Since I can’t, you will have to,” assented Cathalina, in pleased amusement.

Part of this conversation was going on while the band was playing, and the young captain had to lean over to talk into Cathalina’s ear. Then the band stopped and all was quiet while the fancy drill was carried to completion. How the girls applauded! The band played again, and then the competitive drills were announced. It made it all the more interesting that the girls knew so many of those who were taking part. Donald Hilton, Harry Mills and Jack Appleton were in the same company, A Company, that won the first prize in the competitive drill.

“What next?” asked Cathalina.

“The ‘banquet,’” replied her escort. “The commandant will announce it or have some one of the officers do so. Then the boys who have been drilling will come for their ladies and we shall go.”

But when the prizes were announced, another list was read, of those boys whose rank was advanced. And Donald’s name was not among them.

As the cadets came in the main room, after the ranks were broken, there was one who did not know where to look for his fair lady. A trifle embarrassed, but manly, not knowing just how Betty would take this peculiar reception, anxious to explain, Donald Hilton came toward the visitors’ seats and stood a moment to look for Betty. As people were rising, collecting light wraps, chatting as they left, it was not easy to find her in the confusion. But Betty had seen Donald and intended to wait, and in a moment Donald had seen her and was making his way toward her. He saluted Captain Holley, very courteously, apologized to Betty for his delay in meeting her, and asked if she were ready to go to supper with him.

“Thank you, Captain Holley, for taking me under your wing,” said Betty, more warmly than she had ever supposed she would, and with a smile to Louise, who had been so unusually cordial, she joined Donald in the departing procession.

“I can’t tell you, Miss Betty,” said Donald, “how mortified I am over this affair. I don’t know what you must think of me. Did anybody tell you anything?”

Betty stated demurely what she had been told on her arrival.

“If I could just explode or something!” exclaimed Donald.

Betty laughed, and, sorry for Donald’s distress, she said: “I don’t care, Donald. I can’t think that you would really intend to embarrass me, so I’ll forgive you before you explain.”

“Thank you, Betty,” said Donald, dropping the “Miss” this time. “You’re an angel. I always knew it. But I have a lot to tell you about this. If I don’t get a chance to do it tonight, may I come over as soon as I can get off and tell you all about it?”

“You certainly may.”

“All right; I feel better. No telling how soon that will be, though, if I should be put on probation.”

“Is it as bad as that?”

“I shouldn’t be surprised. But, Betty, I wouldn’t ever have run any risk of seeming to show any disrespect to you.”

“I am sure of it.”

“There I was, pacing up and down, like a tiger in his cage, and wondering how you were taking it and how on earth the thing came about. I’d had a few demerits—black marks, you know. It’s easy enough to get ’em. But either somebody’s set it up, or the kid cadets have just taken a bad time to take it out on me for some of the jokes our crowd has played on them. They don’t stand for much hazing here, and it’s little enough in that line that any of them had. I can’t think of but one that ever seemed to resent the jokes. But inspection has been a nightmare for two days now, and my black marks have piled up. Yesterday morning, Betty, I had cleaned my gun, but when at the last minute I got it for drill, there was a lot of black grease on it. Of course I was bawled out. And this morning, worst of all, there was a package of cigarettes found in my room when it was inspected. I have been trying to think that all out, too. I had gotten word that Van Horne wanted to see me, can’t even think what kid it was that told me. Somebody just called in the door, you know. So I started out to hunt up Van Horne and see what he wanted. Meanwhile somebody must have come in to fix up the cigarettes, for the report was that there was a half-smoked cigarette and a lot of ashes under a paper on the table. My bed had been fixed, too, so that it did not pass inspection.”

“Did you find Captain Van Horne?”

“Yes. He said that there must have been some mistake. He had not sent for me.”

“Then, of course, it was all fixed up to get you in trouble.”

“But when I came back to the building I found somebody had sent for me, the commandant, of course—and they must have been pretty swift, by the way, to get word to him so soon!”

“I suppose it is against rules for the boys to have cigarettes.”

“I should say so! I’m going to find out who put those in my room if it takes me to my dying day.”

“Didn’t you tell the commandant about it?”

“I tried to, and got reprimanded for it, and told to take my punishment like a man. That was the first time I ever was mad at the commandant, and I’m going to see that he does know about it some day. But he was fair about tonight. I was to work out part of my punishment and miss the first part of the evening, as you know, but they needed me in the drills, and then the old boy said that he did not also want to punish the young lady I had invited, and I might take her out to supper. What more is hanging over my head I don’t know. You heard the list read out. I was due for a higher appointment, but of course could not have it now—am a measly corporal still.”

Betty laughed at that. “I don’t believe that they will do anything very awful. But I would explain things to the commandant, or to Captain Van Horne, anyway.”

“It is going to be easier to explain than to prove what I say. But now you must forget all about it, and if I am forgiven I shall put it out of my mind the rest of the evening, too. What has been going on over at Greycliff? Are you going to skate this winter?”

“Oh, yes, I always skate; but I think that the great sport this winter is going to be the skiing, by the way the girls are talking now. But there is much on hand before that time comes.”

“I don’t know. They say the cold weather will begin early this year.”

By this time they had reached the dining room, where white tables, flowers, music and savory odors greeted them. A little orchestra from Greycliff Heights, or Greycliff Village, as the girls usually called it, played during the meal. This was as great an event to the young people as the ice carnival of the year before.

Most of the company had found their places at table by the time Betty and Donald entered the dining room. They had not hurried, merely keeping in sight the others who were ahead of them, while a few lingered behind them. Part way down the long room they saw a beckoning hand, that of Harry Mills, who was with Lilian, Jack Appleton and Hilary, and was trying to indicate that their place cards were at that table. Betty and Donald hurried on to join them, and found a table of gay young cadets and their guests. The place cards all had the picture of a tent and Uncle Sam in front of it, welcoming a charming maiden, who represented Greycliff and was receiving the roses which he offered. There was a rose at each place, as well, and a silver pin, suitable for a corsage bouquet, for each of the girls. The bouquets had been sent to Greycliff, but these pins were reserved for the evening’s souvenir. (They each bore the academy “arms” and seal.) “Such a beautiful souvenir!” exclaimed Betty to Donald. “I shall always keep it in memory of a very happy evening.”

“That is very good of you to say,” replied Donald. “It is happy to me, too, since everything is all right with you.”

Late as it was when the girls arrived at Greycliff, Cathalina and Betty were both too excited to sleep. Betty had too much to think over and Cathalina wanted to hear all Betty’s news. But they dutifully put lights out, and each lying in her little cot, related the most outstanding events of the evening.

“Did Louise have on fresh gloves, Betty?”

“Why, yes, she did. I never thought of it, though. Yes, I remember how snug they were, probably a bit too small, but just as clean as could be.”

“Maybe they were her own, after all.”

“Perhaps, and perhaps she succeeded in getting some one to lend them to her. But she was just lovely all the time we were together. And I liked Captain Holley better than I ever did before. I thought he was terribly officious at first, but it was very nice to have somebody to be really attentive till Donald came. Only I don’t think it was very kind of him to have me look out and see the poor boy!”

“You remember he wanted to have you for his own guest, and perhaps he felt a little put out about Donald’s getting ahead of him again.”

“I wonder! Cathalina, do you think he would go to the trouble to fix up things that way for Donald, so perhaps he would miss the reception?”

“Oh, no. That would be so trifling a thing for an officer to do. I can’t imagine it.”

“He has done some awfully funny things, though. There was the time he met his sister outside of the hall.”

“He explained that pretty well—at the time.”

“Yes, I suppose so. Then what was he doing with those queer men at the cave?”

“That is strange. But we ought to be careful not to say much, unless we feel pretty sure something was wrong.”

“You know how careful we have been. But I can’t help wondering sometimes. If he has been at the bottom of that trouble of Donald’s!”

“It would be pretty hard to connect him with it!” finished Cathalina. “But I do hope that Donald will find out who put those things in his room and who called him away. I imagine that it was some of those cadets revenging themselves a little, don’t you?”

“That is the most likely explanation.”