CHAPTER XXVII

ROBERT FINALLY ANSWERS

"What is it, sir?" demanded the commandant, sternly, of Midshipman Bligh.

The latter hesitated for a moment, as if uncertain how best to express himself.

"I--I--have heard that some--that some civilian clothing and a false beard were found in Mr. Blunt's room this morning--I learned Mr. Blunt was in your office--and a little while ago I saw Mr. Frank Stonewell come into the building with his brother. I have thought that perhaps Mr.

Blunt is charged with having used that disguise last night; is that so, sir?"

"It is; what do you know about the affair, sir?" returned the commandant, looking fixedly at Bligh, while Frank Stonewell regarded him with friendly approval in his expressive face.

"Mr. Blunt is not guilty, sir. I was in possession last night of the things found this morning in his room."

"And did you accompany Mr. Frank Stonewell in an attempt to steal the examination last night, sir?"

"I am guilty of having made that attempt, sir."

"Mr. Blunt is also charged with being the person who proposed the three groans for the superintendent and commandant. Were you guilty of that, too, sir?"

"I was, sir."

When Bligh said this Captain Blunt was undoubtedly the happiest person in the room; he seemed to relax from the strain and tension he had been on for the past hour; and it is likely that a more crestfallen young man than Robert Drake would have been hard to find. Relieved as the latter was, he felt abjectly foolish. He had made a most needless sacrifice; he had jumped to conclusions and had been entirely wrong.

The commandant was silent for a few moments, apparently lost in thought.

He finally remarked: "Mr. Bligh, do you know that this confession of yours will cause your dismissal from the Naval Academy?"

"Yes, sir," replied Bligh, simply.

"I suppose that you do this to save Mr. Blunt; was this your reason?"

"That was only an incidental cause, sir; the real reason was I wanted to do one decent thing at the Naval Academy. I have done so many things that I am not proud of; and I want to justify Frank Stonewell's belief that there is some good in me. I have had a hard time here, sir. I commenced wrong, and I have been punished severely--for months not one single midshipman at the Academy has spoken a friendly word to me. Then some weeks ago I met Frank Stonewell, and somehow I opened up my heart to him--I was in a bad way at that time; but he made me feel I was not hopelessly bad; it is hard lines, sir, to be made an outcast, a pariah, by one's cla.s.smates."

"I see," remarked the commandant, a bit unbelieving and skeptical; "apparently Mr. Frank Stonewell stirred up the good that was in you and the direct stirring up resulted in your shameful act of last night. I sincerely hope Mr. Frank Stonewell will not try to stir up any more good at the Naval Academy. But, Mr. Bligh, you at least seem disposed to tell the truth. I wish to get to the bottom of this whole affair. Tell me how you got hold of Mr. Blunt's disguise. Did he know of it?"

"No, sir. My room is next to the divisional officer's office, on the ground floor. Late one night, months ago, while I was getting a gla.s.s of water, I observed Mr. Blunt enter that office. Two hours later I saw Mr.

Blunt, in disguise, come over the terrace and soon I saw him leave the office. I didn't understand it at first, but suddenly it flashed over me that Mr. Blunt kept civilian clothes somewhere in his divisional officer's office. Then I knew it was Mr. Blunt in disguise, and not a civilian, who had left and entered that office by the window. So later I took a wax impression and had a key made for the door of that office; I went in one night and found on top of the wardrobe (it is a regular midshipman's wardrobe) the coat, hat and false beard,--well, that's about all, sir. I used them several times besides the twice you know of."

"That's enough, quite enough to dismiss you from the Naval Academy. I am glad indeed finally to have arrived at the facts. The one thing I cannot understand is that after these shameful acts you should talk such twaddle about wanting to prove there is some good in you. Faugh! There's no good in a cheat, and your attempt to steal that examination was caused by a desire to cheat. You can't convince me there's anything particularly good in you by what you have done in the last twenty-four hours."

"I have no hope of convincing you of anything, sir, except that I and not Midshipman Blunt am guilty of the offenses charged to him. If I have done that, sir, I am entirely satisfied. I admit that my intention was to cheat, but the purpose was to pa.s.s the examination, not to pa.s.s higher than some rival. It was pretty bad, but not so bad as for a midshipman who is satisfactory to cheat for the purpose of getting higher rank. Now as for my purpose in coming before you--I don't know of any way you could have proved, without my own voluntary confession, that I and not Mr. Blunt was guilty. Cadet Commander Stonewell has spurned me. Mr. Blunt has repeatedly treated me with contempt. This resulted from my own unfortunate start here; I don't say it wasn't my fault, but I do say that I have been given no chance to retrieve myself. Every one here seemed to be against me--this was a new experience to me, sir.

Every day was full of bitterness and unhappiness. I could not feel I was so entirely worthless! The groans I proposed were a bubbling over of this bitterness; it was not personal to either the superintendent or yourself. At a time when I was ready to do anything vile Mr. Frank Stonewell got hold of me and he has made a different man of me, at least in my own feelings. I have a self-respect now that I had been without for months. In spite of last night's act, I submit, sir, that this voluntary statement should show you I am not entirely bad; and what is more important to me, I believe it will prove to Mr. Frank Stonewell that I am on the square."

"What is your purpose in telling me all of this stuff, Mr. Bligh?"

"Sir, I want to get a fresh grip on myself; I hope to live a self-respecting life, to make an honorable place for myself in civil life. Can't you see, sir, that I don't want the stigma, the disgrace of dishonorable expulsion from here just as I commence civil life? Sir, I request to be allowed to resign instead of being dismissed. I want a chance, sir; I've done mean things here, but even if it is the last moment, I've repented; I've done what I could to clear Mr. Blunt."

"There's something in what you say, Mr. Bligh. I deprecate your wrong actions, but I acknowledge you have shown the proper spirit this morning. Now write out a statement of just what your actions have been, and append to it your resignation. I will endorse this, giving you credit for your proper act of this morning. Whether you will be allowed to resign or be dismissed will be decided by the superintendent. I regret you have had such a hard time here; I should be pleased to learn that from now on you will live a good life. That will do, sir."

Bligh left the room.

"Not altogether bad, is he, captain?" remarked Frank Stonewell, nodding approvingly at the captain. "I knew he would come up like a man when the time came."

"I'll have nothing to say to you, sir; I consider your ideas of right and wrong have but a shadowy boundary between them. I'll not detain you in my office any longer," snapped Commander Dalton.

"Good-day, sir," and with an easy, friendly smile for all Frank Stonewell left.

The commandant drew a long breath. "Now, Mr. Blunt," he said, "you are cleared of the worst charges that have been made against you; I desire you to make a frank statement of your connection with that disguise."

"Captain, I owned it; the disguise is mine. You know, sir, that midshipmen do lots of things that are not discovered; if a fellow would cheat or do anything dishonorable, none of his cla.s.smates would speak to him; but if he were to 'French' as I have done, he would not lose caste.

There are many offenses here of a military nature that a midshipman might commit which would be severely punished by the authorities if he were detected, and yet at which most midshipmen would smile. Well, sir, I have never cheated nor done anything dishonorable; but I did have this disguise and 'Frenched' out in Annapolis several times with it on. I did not propose the three groans that night at the theatre and I was not out of this building last night after seven o'clock."

"Captain Blunt," resumed the commandant, "I don't mind saying that I am more relieved than it is possible to express. Now, Mr. Blunt, did you never fear detection? I am rather interested in this matter."

"Yes, sir. Captain, do you remember the Sunday morning you invited me to dine with you?"

"I do, indeed. I recall that at first you were tongue-tied and acted queerly; then you gushed out words that didn't have much sense. That was the next day after the three groans were proposed at the theatre. I remember it well."

"The night before, sir, Sat.u.r.day night, I went after my disguise intending to use it, and it was missing. When you called me up I was scared; I thought I was found out. Evidently Mr. Bligh had taken it, but I didn't know or imagine he had."

"Who did you imagine had taken the things?"

"I just couldn't imagine, except that some servant might have stolen the disguise, and then thought better of it and put it back. But no trouble came to me about it, so I didn't worry."

"When you heard about the man in the theatre proposing the three groans, didn't you recognize from his description that it was somebody with your disguise on?"

"Why, no, sir. People said it was some cit. I never gave particular thought to that affair."

"Mr. Blunt, you as a third cla.s.sman have already received one hundred and forty-seven demerits--I have looked up your record. As a third cla.s.sman you may receive in the year two hundred and fifty demerits without being unsatisfactory in conduct. For having civilian clothes in possession you will receive fifty demerits, and for having been absent from academic limits, fifty more. That leaves you only three to run on, but the end of the year is at hand and you should be able to do it.

Further, I shall recommend that you be deprived of your September leave.

I am sorry, Captain Blunt," he continued, "to punish your son so severely, but if this had occurred while you were commandant I don't believe you would have been more lenient."

"His actions merit dismissal, Dalton; you have been more than merciful,"

replied Captain Blunt grimly. "But at the same time I am glad that my son is not guilty of dishonorable acts, and also that he is not to be dismissed. But, Harry, clear up one more thing. How did those things happen to be found in your room?"

"Last night, father, I got to worrying about that disguise and at about midnight I went to the office and got them. I intended to take them out in town to-day. Just as I got into my room Mr. Drake came in and asked where Mr. Stonewell was, and saw the coat, hat and beard. Drake looked wild; I guess he didn't have much sleep last----"

"That's enough, Harry; you're getting a bit too loquacious," interrupted the young man's father.

During all of this talk Stonewell and Robert were both silent and yet rapt listeners. Not one word had they exchanged, but at times Stonewell regarded Robert with an expression of deep affection, full of concern.

And Robert was so full of self-disgust and shame that he dared not look either his roommate or Captain Blunt in the face. He felt that his own action had been simply ridiculous; that instead of heroism he had been guilty of foolishness.

"Now, Dalton," remarked Captain Blunt, and his face a.s.sumed a look of intense earnestness and feeling, "everything has come out well for Mr.

Stonewell and for my son. I hope you will pardon me for speaking for Mr.

Drake. I realize, of course, his offense; and I know that for this offense you will be justified in inflicting any punishment up to dismissal. I am of course aware of your duties as commandant, of the imperative necessity that discipline must be maintained. And I agree that he has committed a most serious offense. But, Dalton," and here Captain Blunt's voice, rugged veteran though he was, broke with emotion, and in husky tones he continued, "Dalton, Mr. Drake's offense arose from sentiments that do credit to his heart--his idea was to spare me from sorrow--and he could not force himself to testify against his roommate.