THE OFFICER IN CHARGE IS SHOCKED
Through the main entrance of Bancroft Hall, into the stately corridor,
Lieutenant Willow picked his way.
He looked solemn--unusually so, even for Lieutenant Willow, U.S.N. He
had the air of a man who hates to do his duty, but who is convinced that
the heavens would fall if he didn't.
To his left he turned, acknowledging smartly the crisp salute given him
by the midshipman assistant officer of the day.
Into the outer office of the officer in charge stepped Mr. Willow, and
thence on into the smaller room where Lieutenant-Commander Stearns sat
reading.
"Oh, good evening, Willow," hailed Lieut. Stearns heartily.
"Good evening, Stearns," was the almost moody reply.
"Sit down and let's have a chat. I'm glad to see you," urged
Lieutenant-Commander Stearns.
Mr. Stearns, he of the round, jovial face, gazed at his junior with
twinkling eyes.
"Willow," he muttered, "I'm half inclined to believe that you've come to
me to make an official report."
"I guess I have," nodded Lieutenant Willow.
"And against some unfortunate midshipman, at that!"
"Against two, at least," sighed Mr. Willow, "and there were others
involved in the affair."
"It must be something fearful," said Mr. Stearns, who knew the junior
officer's inclination to be duty-mad. "But, see here, if you make an
official report you'll force me to take action, even though it's
something that I'd secretly slap a midshipman on the shoulder for doing.
No--don't begin to talk yet, Willow. Try a cigar and then tell me,
personally, what's worrying you. Then perhaps it won't be altogether
needful to make an official report."
"I never was able to take you--er--somewhat jovial views of an officer's
duty, Stearns," sighed Lieutenant Willow.
Nevertheless, he selected a cigar, bit off the end, lighted it and took
a few whiffs, Lieutenant-Commander Stearns all the while regarding his
comrade in arms with twinkling eyes.
"Now, fire ahead, Willow," urged the officer in charge, "but please
don't make your communication an official one--not at first. Fire ahead,
now, Willow."
"Well--er--just between ourselves," continued Lieutenant Willow slowly,
"there has been a fight to-night between two midshipmen."
"No!"
Lieutenant-Commander Stearns struck his fist rather heavily against the
desk.
"A fight--a real fight--with fists?" continued the officer in charge, in
a tone of mock incredulity. "No, no, no, Willow, you don't mean it--you
can't mean it!"
"Yes, I do," rejoined the junior officer rather stiffly.
"Oh, dear, what is the service coming to?" gasped Stearns ironically.
"Why, Willow, we never heard of such things when we were midshipmen
here. Now, did we?"
"I'm afraid we did--sometimes," admitted the junior officer. "But duty
is duty, you know, my dear Stearns. And this was an unusual fight, too.
The man who was whipped insisted on another fight right then and there,
and--he won the second fight."
"Bully!" chuckled the officer in charge. "Whew, but I wish I had been
there!"
"Stearns, you surely don't mean that?" gasped duty-mad Mr. Willow.
"You're quite right, Willow. No; I certainly don't want to be a
spoilsport, and I'm glad I wasn't there--in my official capacity. But
I'd like to have been divested of my rank for just an hour so that I
could have taken in such a scene as that."
"I'm--I'm just a bit astonished at your saying it, Stearns," rejoined
Lieutenant Willow. "But then, you're always joking."
"Perhaps I am joking," assented the officer in charge dryly, "but I
never lose sight of the fact that our Navy has been built up, at huge
expense, as a great fighting machine. Now, Willow, it takes fighting men
to run a fighting machine. Of course, I'm terribly shocked to know that
two midshipmen really had the grit to fight--but who were they! Mind
you, I'm not asking you in an official way. This question is purely
personal--just between ourselves. Who were the men? And, especially, who
was the fellow who lost the decision, and then had the utter effrontery
to demand a second chance at once, only to win the second fight?"
"Darrin was the man who lost the first fight and won the second,"
replied Lieutenant Willow.
"Mr. Darrin? One of our youngsters? Yes; I think I know him. And what
man of his class did he whip, the second time he tried!"
"It wasn't a man of his own class. It was Mr. Treadwell, of the first
class," rejoined Lieutenant Willow.
"What?" almost exploded the officer in charge. "Did you say that Mr.
Darrin fought with Mr. Treadwell, that husky top classman, and, losing
the decision on the count, insisted on fighting again the same evening?
Oh, say, what a fellow misses by being cooped up in an office like
this!"
"But--but the breach of regulations!" stammered the duty-mad lieutenant.
"My dear fellow, neither you nor I know anything about this
fight--officially. The Navy, after all, is a fighting machine. Do you
feel that the Navy can afford to lose a fighting man like that
youngster?"
So Lieutenant Willow left Lieutenant-Commander Stearns' presence, not
quite convinced he was performing his whole duty, but glad to bow to the
decision of a ranking officer.
Two days later Dave and Dan were surprised at being halted by
Lieutenant-Commander Stearns.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Darrin," came the pleasant greeting. "Good
afternoon, Mr. Dalzell. Mrs. Stearns and I would be greatly pleased if
you could take dinner with us. Couldn't you come next Sunday?"
The two midshipmen were astonished and delighted at this invitation.
While it was not uncommon for officers to invite midshipmen to their
homes, where there were so many midshipmen, it was as a rule only the
young men who made themselves prominent socially who captured these
coveted invitations. Darrin and Dalzell concealed their surprise, but
expressed their pleasure in accepting the gracious invitation.
On entering Mrs. Stearns' drawing room the next Sunday Mr. Darrin and
Mr. Dalzell were introduced to two pretty girls. Miss Flora Gentle was a
cousin of their hostess. She had visited Annapolis before, and, being
pretty and vivacious, at the same time kind and considerate, she had
many friends among the midshipmen. Marian Stevens, who had accompanied
her on this visit, was a direct contrast. Flora was blonde. Marian was
the dark, flashing type. She was spoiled and imperious, yet she had a
dashing, open way about her that made her a favorite among young people.
The two girls had heard of the double fight. Marian, therefore, was
pleased when she found that Dave was to be her dinner partner.
"He's handsome," thought the girl, "and he's brave and dashing. He'll
make his mark in the Navy. He doesn't know it yet, but he'll become
mine, and mine alone."
Miss Stevens was a calculating young person, and had already decided
that Navy life was the life for her and that she would marry into it. At
seventeen, she looked upon the officers as old men, even the youngest of
them, so was giving her time and her smiles to the midshipmen. That the
Navy pay is small did not trouble Maid Marian, as she liked to be
called, as on her twenty-first birthday she would come into a
considerable fortune of her own.
She exerted herself all through the Stearns' dinner to captivate Dave
Darrin. He, without diminution of love and loyalty to Belle Mead, was
glad to be on friendly terms with this dashing and sprightly girl.
Coffee was served in the drawing room. Several officers dropped in.
Marian, who wished no one to come between her and Dave for a while,
turned to her host.
"Mr. Stearns, do the regulations make it improper for Flora and me to
ask Mr. Darrin and Mr. Dalzell to take us for a stroll about the yard?"
she asked with a pretty air of deference. The "yard" includes all the
grounds belonging to the Naval Academy.
"They do not, Miss Marian," was the smiling response.
"With our hostess's approval we shall be charmed to grant any request
the young ladies make," ventured Dave, as Marian smiled into his eyes.
But Marian, the wily and experienced, found herself baffled during this
walk. Using all her cajoleries, she could bring him to a certain point
beyond which he would not go. As a matter of fact, Dave Darrin, secure
in his loyalty to Belle, did not perceive what Maid Marian was striving
to lead up to, but saw in her only a lively and interesting girl.
"I'll get you yet, Midshipman Darrin," she vowed to herself after they
had parted.
The gossip of a sweetheart in his home town which in time reached her
ears only made the girl more determined to get her way. Looking in the
mirror with satisfaction, she murmured:
"There'll be the added zest of making Midshipman Darrin forget the
distant face of that home girl."
Not on that visit did Maid Marian succeed in leading Dave beyond the
point of simple but sincere friendship. However, Miss Stevens could be
charming to whomsoever she wished, and before she left Annapolis she had
secured invitations to visit the wife of more than one of the officers.