CHAPTER X
ROBERT GETS GOOD NEWS
The days following dragged slowly by for the apprehensive Robert. Hismind was full of the needs of his father and mother and it took realeffort on his part to attend to his duties and prepare his studies. Heanxiously awaited each mail delivery, but not until Saturday morningafter drill did any letters come from him. He and Stonewell enteredtheir rooms together and Robert fairly pounced on the two letters thatwere awaiting him. Eagerly he tore open the letter in his father'swell-known handwriting, and rapidly read it. Then he gave a shout ofjoy.
"What do you think, Stone?" he cried. "Here's the happiest news in theworld. Father writes me that Captain Blunt has secured a splendidposition for him, chief clerk of the Light House Board. Isn't that justsplendid? All of my worries are over; and father returns the fiftydollars I sent him. I'm so happy, it seems as if a ton had been liftedfrom me. I do hope I'll be able to convince Captain Blunt of mygratitude to him. What a wonderful thing to have such a friend, Stone.But how did he come to do it?" Robert paused a moment and then added:"Stone, did you tell him of the trouble I was in?"
"Bob, I told him you felt it was your duty to resign, and I told himwhy. I wanted an older friend than myself to advise you. It was aliberty; but, by George, I can't feel it's a case for an apology. I amjust as happy as you are, Bob. Jingo! but Captain Blunt is a fine man."
"I do wish I could do something to show him how much I appreciate whathe has done for me!" exclaimed Robert.
"You can," rejoined Stonewell. "There's his son Harry. You can try tohelp him out of trouble; he's pointed for a lot of it. There are rocksand shoals ahead of him, and he's pretty certain to get bumped hard."
"I can't do anything for that youngster, Stone," replied Robert."Positively he never loses an opportunity of cheeking me."
"You may have the chance, Bob; but why don't you read your otherletter?"
"I forgot I had another letter. Hello, this is from Stanton; let's seewhat he says."
"What! Stanton!" queried Stonewell. "Do you mean last year's fivestriper?"
"Yes; what a splendid fellow he is. He says he is having a fine timeaboard the 'Paul Jones,' a torpedo boat destroyer, and he's learning alot. He says his ship made a good record at the last target practice butit will do much better next time. His captain is devising a new sightfor the six-pounder gun; the one now attached to that style of gun isvery poor. Stanton says that anybody can get up a better sight, and nowthe Navy Department is allowing officers to make improvements on theguns they are going to fire at target practice. That's what ourinstructor in gunnery said last October, don't you remember?"
"Yes, and by the way, Bob, now that your mind is easy about everythingyou had better get busy if you expect your company to win the flag thisyear. You've got a good company, but so has Blair, and he's red hotafter the flag. He'll wipe your eye, Bob, if you don't hustle. And it'sgetting late in the year."
"That's right. I'll get busy next week. Let's see, now my company doeswell in infantry and artillery; I ought to beat Blair in thosesubjects."
"Yes, but Blair's company is pretty sure to get first place inseamanship, and on the whole his company is better, more numerouslyrepresented in the different forms of athletics than yours is. As anoffhand guess I would say the second company has a better show for theflag than yours has. You see the total possible multiple for the entirebrigade is 3,000. Blair will probably get fifty points in fencing, andhe has a lot of fellows on the track and field teams; he'll probably get100 points there; and the best gymnasts of the Academy belong to hiscompany; besides, the second company is certainly as well represented asthe first company in the football and baseball squads and in the crew.You may make it, Bob, but you won't if you don't get your companystirred up."
"By George, Stone," cried Robert, "I'd rather win that flag than havefive stripes. My company is all right; we will average just as well indrills and in athletics as the second company. We haven't done muchtalking of what we're going to do, but don't imagine we've forgottenabout the flag. We are after it, hard and strong."
"If you do win it, I'll wager a hundred dollars to an onion that you'lldeserve to win. Blair is not to be easily beaten," replied Stonewell.
"Let's go out and call on the Blunts," suddenly proposed Robert. "I wantto thank the captain."
"Don't say another word, Mr. Drake," Captain Blunt was saying to Robertlater the same day; "your feeling for your father is natural and doesyou credit. I was really glad to be of service to him and to you; butaside from all that, the Light House Board is glad to get your fatherfor its chief clerk; he is just the man we need. So we are all pleased.How is my boy Harry coming along? By George! I could have sworn I sawhim ahead of me on Maryland Avenue to-day; you don't think Harry isFrenching, do you?"
"I hope he isn't, captain. I should be inexpressibly sorry if he wereand I had to report him for it. You know he is in my company."
"If you find him Frenching I want you to report him," savagely rejoinedCaptain Blunt. "Don't have any false notions on that subject, Mr.Drake."
"That is a matter of great concern to me, captain," replied Robert intones of anxiety. "I'd almost prefer to bilge than to report your sonfor a serious matter. He is a splendid fellow; everybody likes him andadmires him. But he is undoubtedly reckless and careless. The greattrouble to me is that he won't let me speak to him except officially. Heis impatient of advice and won't listen to any from me."
"Mr. Drake, I desire and expect you to report him when you ought to doso. Don't worry about that."
Helen, growing impatient at this long conversation, said suddenly,"Robert, I made some fudge this morning; won't you come back in thepantry with me and help me bring it out?"
As soon as they were out of hearing, she said in a low voice: "Harry isup-stairs again, and he can't come down to get away without fatherseeing him. What shall I do? Harry is terribly afraid of his father."
"The only advice I can give you, Helen, is to tell your father he isthere. You can't cover up his tracks, and I don't know anybody excepthis father who can influence him."
This advice to Helen seemed too explosive, and she felt she could devisesome way herself to protect Harry, and she must make him feel that hemust never, never do it again. So she remained silent.
When they returned to the drawing-room Robert felt ill at ease. Mrs.Blunt, always sympathetically friendly to him, engaged him in talk; butafter a few minutes Robert got up to take his leave, accompanied byStonewell.
"Weren't you in a bit of a rush, Bob?" inquired Stonewell, glancingkeenly at his roommate.
"Perhaps," replied Robert uncomfortably.
"Perhaps you found young Blunt eating pie in the pantry," remarkedStonewell.
"Not that close, Stone, but I guess he was in the house. Now what am Ito do? I can just see that before long I'll be in a fix where I'll haveto report young Blunt for a bilging offense, the son of the man that hasevery claim to my gratitude--or else I'll have to go back on thestrongest principles I possess. What am I to do, Stone?"
"That's a hard problem; we'll think about it, and perhaps we may be ableto intimidate Blunt. Perhaps I may find a means to influence him. By theway, did you know that the first class has late liberty to-night?Penfield is going to play Richard the Third at the Colonial Theatre.It's a great opportunity. I went to the commandant, and our class isgoing to have eleven-thirty liberty. It's Penfield's best play; and Ialready have our tickets. Aren't you pleased, Bob?"
Robert looked at his roommate in sheer astonishment. "Well, of allthings!" he said. "To think of your knowing that for hours and nevermentioning it. Why, I was talking with Mrs. Blunt and Helen about theplay and wishing I could go. I'm immensely pleased. But why didn't youspeak of it before, Stone?"
"Oh, I just didn't. In fact I haven't told anybody. The news will beannounced at supper formation, so you know it sooner than anybody elsedoes. And we'll have a glorious time."
"I'm delighted," cried Robert. "Stone, this is just fine. Bu
lly for oldDalton. He's a daisy commandant."