THE WHOLE CLASS TAKES A HAND
"Then, Mr. Darrin, you admit the use of impertinent language to
Mr. Clairy, when the midshipman was in charge of the floor?"
This question was put to Dave, the following morning, by the commandant
of midshipmen.
"It would have been an impertinence, sir, under ordinary conditions,"
Darrin answered. "Under the circumstances I believed, sir, that I
had been provoked into righteous anger."
"You still assert that Mr. Clairy's charge that your shoes were
unlaced when you approached him was false?"
"Absolutely false, sir."
"Do you wish any time to reflect over that answer, Mr. Darrin?"
"No, sir."
"You are willing your answer should go on record, then?"
"My denial of the charge of having my shoes unlaced is the only
answer that I can possibly make, sir."
The commandant reflected. Then he directed that Midshipman Clairy
be ordered to report to him. Clairy came, almost immediately.
The commandant questioned him closely. Clairy still stuck resolutely
to his story that Dave Darrin had been passing through the corridor
with his shoes unlaced; and, furthermore, that Darrin, when rebuked
and ordered to place himself on report, had used impertinent language.
During this examination the midshipmen did not glance toward each
other. Both stood at attention, their glances on the commandant's
face.
"I do not know what to say," the officer admitted at last. "I
will take the matter under advisement. You may both go."
Outside, well away from the office, Dave Darrin halted, swinging
and confronting Clairy sternly.
"You lying scoundrel!" vibrated Darrin, his voice shaking with
anger.
"It constitutes another offense, Mr. Darrin, to use such language
for the purpose of intimidating a midshipman in the performance
of his duty," returned Midshipman Clairy, looking back steadily
into Dave's eyes.
"An offense? Fighting is another, under a strict interpretation
of the rules," Dave replied coldly.
"And I do not intend to fight you," replied Clairy, still speaking
smoothly.
"Perhaps I should know better than to challenge you," replied
Midshipman Darrin. "The spirit of the brigade prohibits my fighting
any one who is not a gentleman."
"If that is all you have to say, Mr. Darrin, I will leave you.
You cannot provoke me into any breach of the regulations."
Clairy walked away calmly, leaving Dave Darrin fuming with anger.
Page was sent for next, then Dalzell. Both denied utterly the
charges on which Clairy had ordered them to report themselves.
Again Mr. Clairy was sent for, and once more he asserted the
complete truthfulness of his charges.
It was so in the cases of the five remaining midshipmen under
charges, though still Mr. Clairy stuck to the correctness of the
report.
Action in all of the eight cases was suspended by the commandant,
who went post-haste to the superintendent. That latter official,
experienced as he was in the ways of midshipmen, could offer no
solution of the mystery.
"You see, my dear Graves," explained the superintendent, "it is
the rule of custom here, and a safe rule at that, to accept the
word of a midshipman as being his best recollection or knowledge
of the truth of any statement that he makes. In that case, we
would seem to be bound to accept the statements of Mr. Clairy."
On the other hand, we are faced with the fact that we must accept
the statements made by Mr. Darrin, Mr. Page, Mr. Dalzell, Mr.
Fenwick and others. We are on the horns of a dilemma, though
I doubt not that we shall find a way out of it."
"There appears, sir, to be only the statement of one midshipman
against the word of eight midshipmen," suggested the commandant.
"Not exactly that," replied the superintendent. "The fact is
that Mr. Clairy's charges do not concern the eight midshipmen
collectively, but individually. Had Mr. Clairy charged all eight
of the midshipmen of an offense committed at the same time and
together, and had the eight midshipmen all denied it, then we
should be reluctantly compelled to admit the probability that
Mr. Clairy had been lying. But his charges relate to eight different
delinquencies, and not one of the eight accused midshipmen is
in a position to act as witness for any of the other accused men."
"Then what are we going to do, sir?"
"I will admit that I do not yet know," replied the superintendent.
"Some method of getting at the truth in the matter is likely
to occur to us later on. In the meantime, Graves, you will not
publish any punishments for the reported delinquencies."
"Very good, sir," nodded the commandant.
"Keep your wits at work for a solution of the mystery, Graves."
"I will, sir."
"And I will give the matter all the attention that I can," was the
superintendent's last word.
If anger had been at the boiling point before, the situation was
even worse now.
Page and Fenwick openly challenged Clairy to fight. He replied,
in each case, with a cool, smiling refusal.
"We've got to hold that class meeting!" growled Farley.
"Why?" inquired Dave. "The class can't do anything more to Clairy
than has already been done. His refusals to fight will send him
to Coventry as securely as could action by all four of the classes.
No fellow here can refuse to fight, unless he couples with his
refusal an offer to submit the case to his own class for action.
No one, henceforth, will have a word to say to Clairy."
"Perhaps not; but I still insist that the class meeting ought
to be called."
This was the general sentiment among the first classmen. Darrin
was the only real dissenter to the plan.
"Oh, well, go ahead and call the class together, if you like,"
agreed Dave. "My main contention is that such a meeting will
be superfluous. The action of the class has really been taken
already."
"Will you come to the meeting, Darry?" asked Fenwick.
"Really, I don't know," Dave answered thoughtfully. "My presence
would do neither good nor harm. The action of the class has already
been decided. In fact, it has been put into effect."
"Then you won't be there?" spoke up Farley.
"I don't know. I'll come, however, if it will please any of you
especially."
"Oh, bother you, Darry! We're not going to beg your presence
as a favor."
At formation for dinner, when the brigade adjutant published the
orders, every midshipman in the long ranks of the twelve companies
waited eagerly to learn what had been done in the cases of the
eight midshipmen. They were doomed to disappointment, however.
At brigade formation for supper notice of a meeting of the first
class in Recreation Hall was duly published. There was rather
an unwonted hush over the tables that night.
Immediately afterwards groups of midshipmen were seen strolling
through the broad foyer of Bancroft Hall, and up the low steps
into Recreation Hall. Yet it was some ten minutes before there
was anything like a full gathering of the first class.
"Order!" rapped the class president Then, after glancing around:
"Is Mr. Clairy present?"
He was not.
"Where's Darry?" buzzed several voices.
But Dave Darrin was not present either.
"Where is he?" several demanded of Dan.
"Blessed if I know," Dan answered. "I wish I did, fellows."
"Isn't Darry going to attend?"
"I don't know that, either."
Midshipman Gosman now claimed the floor. He spoke a good deal
as though he had been retained as advocate for the eight accused
midshipmen. In a fiery speech Mr. Gosman recited that eight different
members of the class had been falsely accused by Mr. Clairy.
"There are not eight liars in our class," declared Midshipman
Gosman, with very telling effect.
Then, after more fiery words aimed at Clairy, Mr. Gosman demanded:
"Why is not Mr. Clairy here to speak for himself? Let him who
can answer this! Further, Mr. Clairy has been challenged to fight
by some of those whom be accused. Now, sir and classmates, a
midshipman may refuse to fight, but if he does he must submit
his case to his class, and then be guided by the class decision
as to whether he must fight or not. Mr. Clairy has not done this."
"He's a cur!" shouted a voice.
"I accept the remark," bowed Mr. Gosman, "if I am permitted to
express the class's apology to all dogs for the comparison."
"Good!" yelled several.
"Mr. President and classmates," continued the angry orator, "I
believe we are all of one mind, and I believe that I can express
the unanimous sentiment of the first class."
"You can!"
"You bet you can!"
"Go ahead!"
"Mr. President, I take it upon myself to move that the first class
should, and hereby does, send Mr. Clairy to Coventry for all time
to come!"
"Second the motion!" cried several voices.
Then a diversion was created.
One of the big doors opened and a midshipman stepped into the
room, closing the door.
That midshipman was Dave Darrin. Every first classman in the
room felt certain that Darrin had entered for the express purpose
of saying something of consequence.