IT WAS STONEWELL
"Good-morning, Mr. Drake," said the commandant, pleasantly enough. "I'm
surprised that you haven't been to me with a report before now--that is,
unless Grice has made some great mistake. He has told me that you and he
caught two midshipmen last night attempting to steal an examination--he
says he knows who they are, but seems afraid to give their names. Who
are they, Mr. Drake?"
Commander Dalton was grave and impassive. He spoke to Robert as one
officer might to another on an official matter; his manner betokened an
expectation on his part of receiving an absolutely frank report from the
cadet lieutenant.
Instead of making any reply Robert approached the desk at which the
commandant was sitting and handed him a folded sheet of paper.
"Who were the midshipmen, Mr. Drake? Or did you fail to recognize
them?" And then after a pause, with a trace of annoyance in his voice
due to Robert's backwardness in answering his questions, "Or is Grice's
report incorrect?"
He looked at Robert with surprise as the latter made no effort whatever
to reply. He then opened the paper and cried out in amazement: "You
tender your resignation as a midshipman? What does this mean, sir? I
have asked you certain questions which you do not answer, and then you
resign. Come, Mr. Drake, explain yourself, sir! First tell me if Grice's
statement is correct. Do you refuse to answer, sir?"
Still Robert was silent; he looked at the commandant with gloomy,
troubled eyes.
"Mr. Drake, are you aware of what you are doing? Don't you know that
persistence in this course will cause your summary dismissal?"
"Don't dismiss him, capting," cried out old Grice, now in great trouble
about Robert. "He's a fine young gemman, 'deed he is, suh. I'll tell yo'
who dese young gemmen wuz; he doan' want to tell yo', but I'll tell yo',
capting, suh; dey wuz Mistah Stonewell and Mistah Harry Blunt, suh. I
seed 'em, suh, and Mistah Drake seed 'em, and Mistah Drake doan' want
ter tole yo', suh, becase----"
The commandant jumped from his chair as if he had been shot. "What are
you talking about? You're demented!" he roughly cried. "Do you know who
you are talking about? Do you know that Mr. Stonewell is cadet
commander? Grice, you must be crazy!"
"Yes, suh, capting, suh; beggin' yo' pardin, suh, dat's why I didn't
tole yo' befoah, suh. I knowed you'd say ole Grice wuz surely crazy; but
de fax am, capting, that Mistah Stonewell, in his unerform--I counted de
five gold stripes on his sleeve, suh, at de time--and Mistah Harry
Blunt, the son of de ole commerdan', at 'bout 'leven 'clock las' night
tried to steal a zamnation. I seed dem try, and Mistah Drake, he seen
'em try ter steal it. An' ef yo' doan' believe me, capting, yo' ask
Mistah Drake; he knows Mistah Stonewell tried to steal the zamnation
'kase he seen him. Yo' ask Mistah Drake, capting."
"Mr. Drake," cried Commander Dalton, "you have heard this monstrous
charge; I'm waiting for your indignant denial! Why are you silent? Are
you mute, when you hear the character of the first midshipman of his
time so shamefully assailed? You shall answer me! Do you understand that
this negro says that you and he together saw Mr. Stonewell and Mr. Blunt
attempt to steal an examination last night? Do you hear that, and are
you silent, sir?"
Commander Dalton's manner was vehement and intimidating. "What have you
to say, sir?" he thundered, slamming a clinched fist with a bang on his
desk.
With parched lips and in trembling accents Robert commenced to speak.
Four years of the strictest training urged him to yield to the
commandant's order; but Robert had expected this and had tried to
prepare himself for it.
"As I have handed in my resignation, sir," he faltered, "I respectfully
request that I be not asked any questions. This is all I can say, sir."
The commandant dropped into his chair; he looked sorrowfully at Robert,
and then in an altered tone said:
"Mr. Drake, you and Mr. Stonewell are close friends, are you not?"
"He has been more to me than a brother could have been, sir," replied
Robert, in a broken voice. And then in an effort to control his feelings
he turned his back on the commandant and with blinding tears in his eyes
looked through the window in front of him at the mournful, steady rain
without.
Captain Dalton picked up a telephone and said, "Central, give me number
twenty-seven. Hello, is this Captain Blunt?"
"Yes, the commandant of midshipmen."
"Blunt, can you come to my office immediately? A most serious charge has
been made against your son."
Then he rang for his orderly and said: "Tell the officer-in-charge I
won't inspect this morning, and tell him to send Midshipman Blunt to my
office immediately."
When Harry Blunt walked in the office, instead of his usual debonair
manner, there was a look of worry and anxiety on his face.
"Wait a few minutes, Mr. Blunt. Beckwith, excuse me while I write
something."
Harry Blunt glanced at Robert and at the others; several times he looked
as if he were about to say something, but he did not.
It was not long before Captain Blunt appeared; he jumped out of an
automobile that had stopped before the Academy steps, and fairly ran up
them and into the commandant's office. Commander Dalton rose to greet
him with a worried expression.
"Captain Blunt," he began, "a week ago Mr. Drake reported to me that
Grice informed him two midshipmen were planning to steal an examination
in mathematics; I told Mr. Drake to ascertain who these midshipmen were
if he could. This morning Grice reported to his department head,
Beckwith, that he and Mr. Drake had caught two midshipmen in the act of
stealing this examination. Grice was afraid to tell who they were; he
said Mr. Drake could. I sent for Mr. Drake and asked him who they were,
and if Grice's statement was true. Instead of replying Mr. Drake hands
me this paper. Read it. Then Grice made the most astounding statement I
have ever heard. He says the midshipmen were Mr. Stonewell and Mr. Harry
Blunt."
"Impossible!" exclaimed Captain Blunt.
"And when Grice made this statement Mr. Drake remained silent, and he
still remains so."
"Impossible!" again exclaimed Captain Blunt, in an agony of spirit.
"Harry, my boy, say it is false."
"He cain't, Capting Blunt, he cain't, becase I seed him; an' Mistah
Drake, he seed him too, suh," broke in old Grice, feeling that he had to
substantiate his charge. "Mr. Stonewell was in unerform, suh. Mr. Harry
Blunt wuz in citerzens' close; he had on an ole brown hat and he wore
whiskers, but I knowed him; I done seen Mr. Harry afore in dem same
close."
"When and where?" demanded Commander Dalton.
"In Capting Blunt's kitchen, suh; I wuz er passin' by the house at night
when all midshipmen is supposed to be studyin', and I seed a man in the
kitchen. I seed him take off dem whiskers and de hat an' I seed it wuz
Mr. Harry Blunt. Yo' ask him, suh. An' I seed him 'nother time, suh.
Capting, yo' 'member that time at de theatre, heah, when a man stood up
in a box an' says, 'Three groans for de superintendent an' commandan''?
Dat wuz Mistah Harry Blunt too, suh; I wuz dar. I didn't know it at de
time, but when I seen Mistah Harry in Capting Blunt's kitchen I knowed
it then, 'cose he had on de same hat an' coat an' whiskers. Ef yo' doan'
believe me yo' ask him, suh; an' las' night Mistah Stonewell calls him
Harry. I heard him an' Mistah Drake heard him. An' ef yo' looks in
Mistah Harry Blunt's room I spect yo'll find them whiskers an' coat."
Beads of perspiration burst out on Captain Blunt's forehead. He tried to
speak, but his voice choked in his throat. That this disgrace was to
come upon him after a lifetime of honorable service in the navy was
hard, but that the pride and hope of his life, his son Harry, could be
guilty of so vile an act, was an unbearable thought; he looked at Harry.
Frightened and appealing, the latter cried: "Father, I deny that----"
"Keep still; don't say a word," called out Captain Blunt; then turning
to the commandant he said: "My son is in a terrible position, Dalton; he
might be tempted to falsehood. I want to save him from that, at least.
Before we go any further I want to ask you to have his room searched--I
would like to be present when it is."
The commandant sent for the officer-in-charge, and directed him to take
a cadet officer and search Harry Blunt's room. Captain Blunt left with
the officer-in-charge. It was not long before they returned, and the
cadet officer carried with him a bundle composed of a citizen's coat,
hat and trousers, and a false beard.
"Put them on," ordered Captain Blunt, harshly, to his son. The latter
did so mechanically.
"Will you please send for some midshipman who was at the theatre that
night?"
"All of the first class were there, and most of the officers. I'll send
for Mr. Farnum and Mr. Blair."
When these two midshipmen came in, Captain Blunt said: "Take a look at
this man; have you ever seen him before?"
Blair and Farnum recognized him immediately. The heavy dark pointed
beard and moustache once seen were not likely to be forgotten,
particularly when seen under such startling circumstances as they first
had been at the theatre on the night Penfield played Richard the Third.
"He's the man who gave three groans for the superintendent and
commandant," cried Farnum, excitedly.
"He's the man, sir; there is no doubt of it," said Blair.
"That will do, gentlemen," returned the commandant; "you will not speak
of this to any one."
Captain Blunt sat up straight and rigid in his chair; his face had
turned an ashen gray. The greatest sorrow of his life was upon him. "Mr.
Drake," he said after a moment, "have you ever seen my son in this
disguise? Did you detect him trying to steal an examination? I wish a
direct answer." His voice sounded strange and harsh.
"I have resigned, sir; I request to be excused from answering any
questions," was Robert's reply.
Commander Dalton looked sorrowfully at his brother officer, but made no
comment, while Harry Blunt regarded Robert with intense surprise,
stupefaction, fear and amazement.
Robert, inert and dull, gazing idly out of the window, suddenly gave a
start and looked up with interest and expectancy as the office door
was opened, and a midshipman entered.
[Illustration: _"THAT WILL DO, GENTLEMEN"_]
"Good-morning, sir," said the newcomer; "I have to report my return from
two days' leave."
The midshipman was Stonewell.