"No; I think not. By trouble I mean that I just took part in a fight."
"So you took the time when I am here as the most suitable occasion for a fight?" asked Belle, her color coming back and heightening.
"It isn"t wise for me to explain it now, Belle," Dave told her quickly.
"You won"t blame me when you know. But I"d rather save it for telling when we are out of the Academy grounds."
"Oh, just as you like. Dave, we mustn"t let anything spoil what"s left of this last short dance of the night."
"Thank you, Belle. These dances together don"t happen any too frequently."
It was when the young people were walking back to the Maryland Hotel, and Mrs. Meade had joined Dan and Laura, that Belle again asked the nature of the trouble that had deprived Darrin of three of his dances with her.
Dave told the story, briefly, adding:
"Under the midshipmen"s code, the blow had to be struck when the lie was pa.s.sed."
"I don"t blame you for knocking the fellow down," Belle agreed indignantly. "What a worthless fellow that Mr. Jetson must be!"
"Do you know, Belle, I can"t quite bring myself to believe that he is worthless?"
"His conduct shows it," argued the girl.
"At first thought it would appear so but Jetson, I believe, is only the victim of an unhappy temper that makes him suspicious and resentful. He"s brave enough, and he"s never been caught in a dishonorable trick."
"Except the tricks he played on you at the football practice."
"He pa.s.sed his word that he intended no trick, and I have been wholly inclined to take his word in the matter."
"Dave, you must look out for this man Jetson! He"s going to get you into some trouble before you"re through with him," exclaimed Belle earnestly.
All her instinct was aroused in the matter, for Dave Darrin"s success was dearer to Belle Meade than was anything else in the world.
"There are two things that I regret very much to-night," Dave went on.
"One was that Jetson should provoke such a senseless dispute, and the other that I should be obliged to miss so much of your company here at Annapolis."
"I wouldn"t mind anything," Belle answered, "if I could feel sure that no more trouble would come out of this affair with Jetson."
"I don"t believe there will be any disturbing outcome," Dave a.s.sured her; "unless, possibly, another fight."
"A fight is nothing," declared Belle with spirit. "You"re in training to become a fighting man, and a bout or two at fistcuffs is nothing more or less than so much valuable experience. Dave, promise me something?"
"Of course, if it"s anything promisable."
"You"ll write me--"
"Can you doubt that, Belle?"
"And let me know exactly and truthfully if anything further comes of this," she finished.
"I"ll write and tell you anything that a midshipman is at liberty to make known concerning the conduct of the brigade."
"Just what does that cover?" asked Belle.
"I can"t easily answer until the something or other happens to turn up."
"At any rate, Dave, if I get a suspicion that you"re withholding from me anything that I ought to know, I shall be dreadfully worried. You can"t have any idea how worried I have been about you sometimes in the past."
Not much time was there for the two midshipmen to remain at the foot of the steps of the hotel Then, after hearty good nights, Dave and Dan left the ladies, whom they would not see again until the next visit.
"From one or two things that I couldn"t help overhearing, I judge that Belle is greatly worried over the possibility of trouble arising from the Jetson affair," remarked Dan on the way back to the Naval Academy and quarters.
"Yes," Dave admitted.
"Pooh! How can any trouble come to you out of the matter? With Jetson it"s different He declared that he wouldn"t take the word of any midshipman in the brigade."
"That was spoken in the heat of temper. Jetson didn"t mean it."
"Just the same, some of the fellows have heard of it already, and I shan"t be surprised if our cla.s.s holds a meeting and sends Jetson to Coventry--where the fellow belongs."
"If they send Jetson to Coventry," spoke Dave quietly though bluntly, "I shall go along to Coventry with him."
Dalzell halted, staring at his chum in open-mouthed wonder.
"You idiot!" blazed Dan in wrathful disgust.
CHAPTER XVIII
THE CLa.s.s MEETING SITS AS JURY
Three days later the cla.s.s meeting was held.
Jetson was especially impressed with the notion that he must attend, since he must appear as the accused. With one of his disposition it was quite natural that the young man should go before the cla.s.s in a highly resentful mood.
After a few introductory remarks, Jetson was summoned by the cla.s.s president to rise.
"Mr. Jetson," asked the cla.s.s president, "do you intend to deny having made the remark imputed to you--that you would not take the word of any midshipman in the brigade!"
"I made the remark, after a measure, sir," Jetson replied. "What I said was that in a certain matter I would not take the word of any midshipman in the brigade if it went counter to my fixed belief."
"Mr. Jetson, don"t you consider that, under the circ.u.mstances, that amounted to a statement of your unwillingness to accept the word of members of the brigade?"
"I should be sorry to have that construction placed on my remark, Mr.
President, for I know that nearly all the men of the brigade are men with a fine sense of honor."
"Then how do you reconcile this statement with your other one?"