ROBERT GETS GOOD NEWS
The days following dragged slowly by for the apprehensive Robert. His
mind was full of the needs of his father and mother and it took real
effort on his part to attend to his duties and prepare his studies. He
anxiously awaited each mail delivery, but not until Saturday morning
after drill did any letters come from him. He and Stonewell entered
their rooms together and Robert fairly pounced on the two letters that
were awaiting him. Eagerly he tore open the letter in his father's
well-known handwriting, and rapidly read it. Then he gave a shout of
joy.
"What do you think, Stone?" he cried. "Here's the happiest news in the
world. Father writes me that Captain Blunt has secured a splendid
position for him, chief clerk of the Light House Board. Isn't that just
splendid? All of my worries are over; and father returns the fifty
dollars I sent him. I'm so happy, it seems as if a ton had been lifted
from me. I do hope I'll be able to convince Captain Blunt of my
gratitude to him. What a wonderful thing to have such a friend, Stone.
But how did he come to do it?" Robert paused a moment and then added:
"Stone, did you tell him of the trouble I was in?"
"Bob, I told him you felt it was your duty to resign, and I told him
why. I wanted an older friend than myself to advise you. It was a
liberty; but, by George, I can't feel it's a case for an apology. I am
just as happy as you are, Bob. Jingo! but Captain Blunt is a fine man."
"I do wish I could do something to show him how much I appreciate what
he has done for me!" exclaimed Robert.
"You can," rejoined Stonewell. "There's his son Harry. You can try to
help him out of trouble; he's pointed for a lot of it. There are rocks
and shoals ahead of him, and he's pretty certain to get bumped hard."
"I can't do anything for that youngster, Stone," replied Robert.
"Positively he never loses an opportunity of cheeking me."
"You may have the chance, Bob; but why don't you read your other
letter?"
"I forgot I had another letter. Hello, this is from Stanton; let's see
what he says."
"What! Stanton!" queried Stonewell. "Do you mean last year's five
striper?"
"Yes; what a splendid fellow he is. He says he is having a fine time
aboard the 'Paul Jones,' a torpedo boat destroyer, and he's learning a
lot. He says his ship made a good record at the last target practice but
it will do much better next time. His captain is devising a new sight
for the six-pounder gun; the one now attached to that style of gun is
very poor. Stanton says that anybody can get up a better sight, and now
the Navy Department is allowing officers to make improvements on the
guns they are going to fire at target practice. That's what our
instructor in gunnery said last October, don't you remember?"
"Yes, and by the way, Bob, now that your mind is easy about everything
you had better get busy if you expect your company to win the flag this
year. You've got a good company, but so has Blair, and he's red hot
after the flag. He'll wipe your eye, Bob, if you don't hustle. And it's
getting late in the year."
"That's right. I'll get busy next week. Let's see, now my company does
well in infantry and artillery; I ought to beat Blair in those
subjects."
"Yes, but Blair's company is pretty sure to get first place in
seamanship, and on the whole his company is better, more numerously
represented in the different forms of athletics than yours is. As an
offhand guess I would say the second company has a better show for the
flag than yours has. You see the total possible multiple for the entire
brigade is 3,000. Blair will probably get fifty points in fencing, and
he has a lot of fellows on the track and field teams; he'll probably get
100 points there; and the best gymnasts of the Academy belong to his
company; besides, the second company is certainly as well represented as
the first company in the football and baseball squads and in the crew.
You may make it, Bob, but you won't if you don't get your company
stirred up."
"By George, Stone," cried Robert, "I'd rather win that flag than have
five stripes. My company is all right; we will average just as well in
drills and in athletics as the second company. We haven't done much
talking of what we're going to do, but don't imagine we've forgotten
about the flag. We are after it, hard and strong."
"If you do win it, I'll wager a hundred dollars to an onion that you'll
deserve to win. Blair is not to be easily beaten," replied Stonewell.
"Let's go out and call on the Blunts," suddenly proposed Robert. "I want
to thank the captain."
"Don't say another word, Mr. Drake," Captain Blunt was saying to Robert
later the same day; "your feeling for your father is natural and does
you credit. I was really glad to be of service to him and to you; but
aside from all that, the Light House Board is glad to get your father
for its chief clerk; he is just the man we need. So we are all pleased.
How is my boy Harry coming along? By George! I could have sworn I saw
him ahead of me on Maryland Avenue to-day; you don't think Harry is
Frenching, do you?"
"I hope he isn't, captain. I should be inexpressibly sorry if he were
and I had to report him for it. You know he is in my company."
"If you find him Frenching I want you to report him," savagely rejoined
Captain Blunt. "Don't have any false notions on that subject, Mr.
Drake."
"That is a matter of great concern to me, captain," replied Robert in
tones of anxiety. "I'd almost prefer to bilge than to report your son
for a serious matter. He is a splendid fellow; everybody likes him and
admires him. But he is undoubtedly reckless and careless. The great
trouble to me is that he won't let me speak to him except officially. He
is impatient of advice and won't listen to any from me."
"Mr. Drake, I desire and expect you to report him when you ought to do
so. Don't worry about that."
Helen, growing impatient at this long conversation, said suddenly,
"Robert, I made some fudge this morning; won't you come back in the
pantry with me and help me bring it out?"
As soon as they were out of hearing, she said in a low voice: "Harry is
up-stairs again, and he can't come down to get away without father
seeing him. What shall I do? Harry is terribly afraid of his father."
"The only advice I can give you, Helen, is to tell your father he is
there. You can't cover up his tracks, and I don't know anybody except
his father who can influence him."
This advice to Helen seemed too explosive, and she felt she could devise
some way herself to protect Harry, and she must make him feel that he
must never, never do it again. So she remained silent.
When they returned to the drawing-room Robert felt ill at ease. Mrs.
Blunt, always sympathetically friendly to him, engaged him in talk; but
after a few minutes Robert got up to take his leave, accompanied by
Stonewell.
"Weren't you in a bit of a rush, Bob?" inquired Stonewell, glancing
keenly at his roommate.
"Perhaps," replied Robert uncomfortably.
"Perhaps you found young Blunt eating pie in the pantry," remarked
Stonewell.
"Not that close, Stone, but I guess he was in the house. Now what am I
to do? I can just see that before long I'll be in a fix where I'll have
to report young Blunt for a bilging offense, the son of the man that has
every claim to my gratitude--or else I'll have to go back on the
strongest principles I possess. What am I to do, Stone?"
"That's a hard problem; we'll think about it, and perhaps we may be able
to intimidate Blunt. Perhaps I may find a means to influence him. By the
way, did you know that the first class has late liberty to-night?
Penfield is going to play Richard the Third at the Colonial Theatre.
It's a great opportunity. I went to the commandant, and our class is
going to have eleven-thirty liberty. It's Penfield's best play; and I
already have our tickets. Aren't you pleased, Bob?"
Robert looked at his roommate in sheer astonishment. "Well, of all
things!" he said. "To think of your knowing that for hours and never
mentioning it. Why, I was talking with Mrs. Blunt and Helen about the
play and wishing I could go. I'm immensely pleased. But why didn't you
speak of it before, Stone?"
"Oh, I just didn't. In fact I haven't told anybody. The news will be
announced at supper formation, so you know it sooner than anybody else
does. And we'll have a glorious time."
"I'm delighted," cried Robert. "Stone, this is just fine. Bully for old
Dalton. He's a daisy commandant."