"I have not been blessed with many relations, Miss Fox, and so I have not had the chance to have military men in my own family and to know them intimately, as some of you have done. Of course, I admire them. Some of my ancestors were in the wars of 1776 and 1812, but I never saw them. My own father was anxious to be a military man and he entered West Point. He had a splendid record there, and was in love with the life, when he met with an accident out yachting that ruined his health, left him a trifle lame, and forced him to give up all thoughts of a military life. He never got over the disappointment." There was a general expression of sympathy, and Margaret found herself the target for more questions than she cared to answer. In such a babel of voices, however, it was easy to disregard any which she did not choose to hear, so that she extricated herself serenely from a position which Dolly knew to be rather trying. It was late, and as Charlotte's cakes and pickles had been demolished, the girls separated presently. "You think that Margaret's story was quite true?" Beth asked as they slowly paced the corridor on the way back to their rooms. "I'm sure of it. Of course, her ancestors may have been privates in the wars of 1776 and 1812, but still they would have been soldiers all the same." "But about her father?" "I imagine that he won his West Point cadetship by a competitive examination. You know those appointments are given in that way. He may have been very poor, indeed, but if he stood highest in the examination, he would certainly receive the appointment. When he left West Point he evidently had no friends to help him to a good position, and so he took the first honest work that he could find, at least, I imagine that such was the case." "You are about right, I'm sure. Poor Margaret. I don't know why I pity her, though. She seems quite capable of holding her own. She is worth a score of Abby Dunbars." "Miss Dunbar will either be a freshman next year, again, or else become a special student. I understand that the stupid ones who fail in their examinations, usually linger on for a year or two as 'specials,' so that they can say they have been at Westover." "And Miss Dunbar has failed?" "Flatly." "I'm glad that we got through, Beth, and Mary is all right, too. I was rather worried about Mary's mathematics, to tell the truth, but her aunt gave her some coaching at the last. She is so thankful that she will not have to take them next year." "And I like mathematics better than anything else. I shall take an extra course in it." "You will be sure to win the senior prize for that branch, Beth. I am a little like Mary, however. I shall not take more mathematics than I absolutely must." "We'll not take mathematics, or anything else, for three blessed months." "We shall have jolly times, my dear, see if we don't."