“What I desire is from his son. I am poor, very poor, and in distress, as I wrote you, and which letter, with several others, you did not favor with a response. But I know you got the last, for I sent it to your town in Maine to be registered, and I got the return card with your name on it as having received it. You thought it was a money package from home, and found it was a letter from your old chum whom you have treated so badly. I told you that my parents had refused to receive me at first, but relented, and I was given a chance; but I lost heavily in gambling one night, so got money to pay the debt by using my father’s name, which is the same as my own, you know, only I forgot to mention on the check that I was my paternal’s junior, you know, and this little discrepancy got me fired out of the home circle. Luck is against me now, I’m down at the heels, and must have money, so I came to my rich friend and bygone chum, Scott Clemmons. I’ll be at the Astor House at eight o’clock, and if you are not there I’ll be there again at the same hour in the morning. Then if I miss you I’ll start for Maine, and have a talk with Clemmons, senior--ta-ta, Scotty--tra la-la, dear boy,” and Barney Breslin made a mock salute and turned toward the gangway. CHAPTER XXXVIII. KEEPING AN APPOINTMENT. Scott Clemmons did not even walk to the gangway with his visitor. He saw him depart, and then walked aft to where a group of cadets stood. He knew he would have to face the music, so he decided to meet the onslaught at once. “I say, Clemmons, who was your seedy friend?” asked one. “What a loud suit he wears.” “Yes, he is as striped as a zebra.” “But the stripes run up and down.” “True, and it makes a heap of difference to a man which way he wears his stripes.” “If I recognized the gentleman aright his home should be an institution where the stripes should run round him,” said Perry. “You are right, Perry; for, as you all know, doubtless, the fellow was my old chum, Barney Breslin,” remarked Clemmons. “Why did he not give you the letters he had for you?” “What letters?” “He answered the hail of the officer of the deck with the remark that he had most important letters for you.” “Indeed! he said nothing to me about them. In truth, that was a mere excuse to get aboard, for he came to borrow money.” “Ah! he had cheek to come here, and to get any money was worse.” “You don’t owe him any money, do you, Clemmons?” innocently said one of the cadets. “Owe him? I only wish I had what he owes me; but he came and asked me for a loan, and I guess he has gone to the bad utterly, for his father has cast him off, he told me.” “I didn’t see you lend him any.” “No, and I told him never to cross my path again,” and with this Clemmons returned to his work in the captain’s cabin. Later a number of midshipmen were given leave ashore, and Scott Clemmons was among them. So, too, were Mark Merrill and Bemis Perry.