Dave Darrin's Third Year at Annapolis; Or, Leaders of the Second Class MidshipmenHancock, H. Irving (Harrie Irving)
General
Dave Darrin's Third Year at Annapolis; Or, Leaders of the Second Class Midshipmen
Hancock, H. Irving (Harrie Irving)
United States Naval Academy -- Juvenile fiction
"I see that I was wrong in at least one particular," nodded Dave
thoughtfully. "I shouldn't have made any remark about my intentions. I
should have confined myself to a plea for Jetson. Then, if the class had
gone against my view I could have ignored the class action and have taken
the consequences just the same."
"Oh, hang you!" cried Page impulsively.
"Barry," begged Midshipman Joyce, resting a hand on his friend's arm,
"don't do any more talking about this. Just let things quiet down."
"I'm perfectly willing to stop talking about it," agreed Dave. "In fact,
since the class adjourned its meeting I haven't said a word on the
subject except in answer to some other fellow's remarks."
Page and Joyce strolled away, leaving Dave by himself to think matters
over. As it happened, the two second classmen with whom Jetson had been
talking had now left the sulky midshipman, who, at this moment, was
coming down the walk in Dave's direction.
"Good morning, Jetson," nodded Dave pleasantly, though not too cordially.
Midshipman Jetson paused a moment, looked Darrin full in the eyes, and
then passed on.
"Not promising material to work with, at first," Dave told himself,
laughingly.
There was no time for further thought, for it was within two or three
minutes for the first formation for morning recitations. Dave ran back to
his room, picked up a book and a writing pad.
"How have the fellows been treating you, chum?" asked Dalzell, looking up
anxiously.
"To a most liberal dose of advice," laughed Darrin.
Dan sighed.
"Do you wish I'd take some of the advice, old fellow?"
"I don't know that I do," Dan answered slowly and with unwonted
gravity for him. "I'm not one of the padre's star young men, and I
don't often discourse on morality. Yet I'm inclined to believe that,
when a fellow goes contrary to the spirit of the crowd, and is
satisfied that he is doing so from generous and manly motives, he is
pretty likely to be pursuing the right course. After a fellow has made
a real effort to listen to his conscience, I don't believe he is ever
wrong in following it."
"Thank you, Danny boy. That's always been the way it has struck me. I
don't want to do any injustice to Jetson--or to the class, either."
"If you have to go to Coventry," announced Dalzell, giving a final
brushing to his hair and fitting on his cap, "I'm going with you."
"But you don't have to, Dan! A fellow's roommate doesn't have to observe
a Coventry."
"If it comes to Coventry," muttered Dalzell, "I shall invite it by
speaking to Jetson, too."
Dave Darrin was aghast. He hadn't contemplated dragging Dan into
such a scrape.
"There's formation now," announced Dan.
Out in front of the entrance, and along the terrace the many sections
were falling in. Dan had occasion to pass the now very unpopular Jetson.
"Good morning, Jetson," was Dan's greeting.
Jetson started slightly, then replied, with a sulky frown:
"Good morning, Dalzell."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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