These desperate ones do not take part in the afternoon pleasures, for these midshipmen, with furrowed brows, straining eyes, feverish skin and dogged determination, spend their afternoons and evenings in one final assault on their text-books in the hope of pulling through. Dave Darrin was not one of the honor men of his class, but he was "savvy" just the same. Dan Dalzell was a few notches lower in the class standing, but Dan was as sure of graduation as was his chum. "One thing goes for me, this week," announced Dan, just before the chums hustled out to dinner formation on Monday. "What's that?" Dave wanted to know. "No girls; no tender promenades!" grumbled Midshipman Dalzell. "Poor old chap," muttered Dave sympathetically. "Oh, that's all right for you," grunted Dan. "You have one of the 'only' girls, and so you're safe." "There are more 'only' girls than you've any idea of, Dan Dalzell," Dave retorted with spirit. "The average American girl is a mighty fine, sweet, wholesome proposition." "I'll grant that," nodded Dan, with a knowing air. "But I've made an important discovery concerning the really fine girls." "Produce the discovery," begged Darrin. "The really fine girl," announced Dan, in a hollow voice, "prefers some other fellow to me." "Well, I guess that'll be a fine idea for you to nurse---until after graduation," reflected Darrin aloud. "I'm not going to seek to undeceive you, Danny boy." So Dave went off to meet Belle and her mother, while Dan Dalzell hunted up another first classman who also believed that the girls didn't particularly esteem him. That other fellow was Midshipman Jetson. "Mrs. Davis is giving a lawn party this afternoon," announced Dave, after he had lifted his cap in greeting of Mrs. Meade and her daughter. "I have an invitation from Mrs. Davis to escort you both over to her house. Of course, if you find the tea and chatter a bit dull over there, we can go somewhere else presently." "I never find anything dull that is a part of the life here," returned Belle, little enthusiast for the Navy. "It will suit you, mother?" "Anything at all will suit me," declared Mrs. Meade amiably. "David, just find me some place where I can drop into an armchair and have some other middle-aged woman like myself to talk with. Then you young people need pay no further heed to me. Examination week doesn't last forever." "It doesn't," laughed Darrin, "and many of our fellows are very thankful for that." "How are you going to come through?" Belle asked, with a quick little thrill of anxiety. "Nothing to worry about on that score," Dave assured her. "I'm sufficiently 'savvy' to pull sat. all right." "Isn't that fine? And Dan?" "Oh, he'll finish sat., too, if he doesn't sight another craft flying pink hair ribbons." "Any danger of that?" asked Belle anxiously, for Dan was a townsman of hers. "Not judging by the company that Dan is keeping to-day," smiled Darrin. "Who is his companion to-day, then?"