"Wait until you have seen our dress parade," Greg begged. "Then you will understand. It is really as impressive as a religious ceremony; it is the last honors of each day to our country"s flag."
"Oh," murmured Mrs. Bentley, looking relieved.
By this time the little party had moved out on to the veranda.
"As there is no dress parade this afternoon," urged d.i.c.k, "may we not take you over, and let you see our camp from the outside.
Then, after supper, we may, if you wish, take you to the camp for a look before going to the hop."
"As to supper," went on Mrs. Bentley, "you two young gentlemen must come to the hotel a take the meal with us. Wait; I will send word to the office that we shall have guests."
"If you do, you will give the clerk cause for a jolly smile,"
explained Prescott, smiling. "No cadet can possibly eat at the hotel. There are many regulations that will surprise you, Mrs.
Bentley. I will explain as many as occur to me."
Prescott walked between Mrs. Bentley and Laura, while Greg came along with Belle just behind them.
"Are you taking me to the hop tonight, Mr. Holmes?" asked Belle with her usual directness.
Poor Greg, seasoned cadet though he was, flushed uncomfortably.
"I should be," stammered Greg, "but it happens that I am already engaged to drag---to escort a young lady to tonight"s hop."
"I like that word "drag" better than "escort"," laughed Belle.
"But Mr. Anstey, our tentmate, is to escort you tonight," Greg made haste to explain.
"That is the first I have heard of it," replied Belle, with an odd smile. "Does Mr. Anstey know about it, either?"
"Don"t make fun of me," begged Holmes quickly. "Miss Meade, there are many customs here that are strange to outsiders. But they are very old customs."
"Some of them, I suppose," laughed Belle, "so old that they should be forgotten."
"All cadets are regarded as gentlemen," hurried on Greg. "Therefore, any cadet may be a suitable escort for a young woman. If one cadet has two young lady friends coming to the hop, for instance, he asks one of his comrades to escort one of his friends. Why, a cadet who, for any reason, finds himself unable to attend a hop, after he has invited a young lady, may arrange with anyone of his comrades to call for the young lady in his place."
"What if she should decline the unknown subst.i.tute who reported to fill the task?" teased Belle.
"It would betray her unfamiliarity with West Point," replied Greg, with more spirit than Belle had expected from this once very quiet young man. "Miss Meade, we look upon a our comrades here as gentlemen.
We regard the man whom we may send in our place as being more worthy than ourselves. Isn"t it natural, therefore, that we should expect the young lady to feel honored by the subst.i.tution in the way of escort?
"Wholly so," Belle admitted. "If I have said anything that sounded inconsiderate, or too light, you will forgive me, won"t you, Mr.
Holmes?"
"You haven"t offended, and you couldn"t," Greg replied courteously; "for I never take offence where none is meant, and you would be incapable of intending any."
The young people ahead were talking very quietly. Laura, indeed, did not wish to talk much. She was taken up with her study of the changed---and improved---d.i.c.k Prescott.
"Do you know, d.i.c.k," she asked finally, "I am more pleased over your coming to West Point than over anything else that could have happened to you."
"Why?" d.i.c.k asked.
"Because the life here has made such a rapid and fine change in you."
"You are sure it has made such a change?" d.i.c.k inquired.
"Yes; you were a manly boy in Gridley, but you are an actual man, now, and I am certain that the change has been made more quickly here than would have happened in any other life."
"One thing I can understand," pursued Laura. "The life here is one that is full of purpose. It must be. It takes purpose and downright hard work to change two young men as you and Greg have been changed."
By this time the little party was close to the west, or road side of the encampment.
"Isn"t that Bert Dodge over there?" asked Laura, after gazing rather intently at a somewhat distant cadet.
"That is Mr. Dodge, Laura."
"Do you care to call him over to speak with us?" asked Mrs. Bentley.
"If you wish it," d.i.c.k responded evenly.
Laura looked at him quickly.
"Are you and Mr. Dodge no better friends here than at Gridley?"
she asked in a low tone.
"Mr. Dodge and I are cla.s.smates, but we are thrown together very little," d.i.c.k replied quietly.
"I do not think we care about speaking with Mr. Dodge, do we, mother?" inquired Laura.
"There is no need to," replied Mrs. Bentley.
At that moment Bert Dodge espied the little party. After a short, but curious stare, Bert turned and came toward them.
CHAPTER VIII
CADET DODGE HEARS SOMETHING
It was an embarra.s.sing position. So, at least, thought Laura Bentley.
"Let us walk on," she suggested, turning as though she had not seen Dodge.
"Humph!" muttered Dodge, turning his own course. "The girls are showing their backs to me. Humph! Not that I care about them particularly, but folks back in Gridley will be asking them if they saw me, and they"ll answer that they didn"t speak with me.
There"s no use in running into a snub, out here in the open.
But it"s easy! I"ll stag it at the hop tonight, and I can get within range before they can signal me to keep away."
Smiling grimly, Dodge went to his tent.