CHAPTER XXIX
THE END OF A LONG DAY
"Stone, will you ever forgive me?" asked Robert shamefacedly, as soon asthey had left the commandant's office.
"Forgive you, Bob? Never speak of such a thing! Forgive you forsacrificing yourself for me? Bob, I can hardly talk about it," andStonewell felt such a rush of feeling come over him at the memory ofwhat Robert was willing to do for him, and of his own affection for hisfriend, that it was necessary for him to control himself before he couldcontinue. "Bob," he finally said, "the whole thing was my fault. Ishould have told you about Frank. You are not a bit to blame forthinking you saw me last night. Well, Bob, there's no use in my thankingyou for your attitude toward me--such actions are away beyond thanks.It's hard to talk these things over, but I want you to believe onething. I'll never forget what you've done for me--never. Bob, I don'tsuppose the time will ever come when I will have occasion to show myappreciation--I don't want it to come, for that would meanmisfortune--and I don't imagine I could possibly show the greatness ofsoul you have. But don't you ever look up to me again. I may work outprobs a bit faster than you do, but for greatness of character, foreverything that goes to make up leadership, you are the man of theclass, not I. Why, when I think of you I positively feel small."
Robert laughed happily. "Oh, Stone," he said, "don't talk foolishness.The whole thing seems like a dream to me now. I was in the most mixed upstate imaginable. I just saw you do it; that's the way I felt. I knew itwas you, and yet I could not realize how it could be you. I thought thatfor some unexplainable reason you had determined to help Blunt. But whyshould you help Blunt? The whole thing was wholly beyond mycomprehension; and yet I thought I saw you do it. Well, it's all rightnow, thank goodness. But what a remarkable resemblance your brother hasto you; not only in features but also in voice."
"Yes, I suppose so; still, such resemblances frequently exist. There isa rear admiral in our navy that had a son here and another at West Pointat the same time. On one occasion when these two chaps were at hometogether, they exchanged uniforms and even the old gentleman himself wascompletely fooled. But I'm going to tell you about Frank. He has been atseveral schools and colleges and has repeatedly been dismissed. Sometime ago he was expelled from Princeton and came down here. You see he'safraid of my father and leans somewhat on me. I was intensely disgusted.He was mixed up in a scrape in which some unpopular professor was leftover night tied up in a room. Now as a matter of fact Frank for once hadno part in this outrage. But he was suspected and accused--it's a longstory; I won't go into that, Bob. He denied it, but was not believed,and was dismissed; if he were not guilty it was evident he knew who theguilty parties were, and he refused to divulge their names. So he cameto Annapolis, and for this thing to occur just before our graduation wasextremely unpleasant to me. I just couldn't talk about him, but I usedto go out to see him. A short time ago the whole truth came out, andFrank was exonerated, and then to my surprise he refused to return toPrinceton. He had no good reason, but now I can see that he had becomeinterested in Bligh. He was stubborn about not going back, and thissurprised me. He never spoke of Bligh; probably the latter had asked himnot to. Finally he demanded an apology from somebody in Princeton whohad accused him of falsehood, and I went up to see what could be done.But the whole thing, including Frank's stubbornness, was so distastefulto me that I never spoke of it even to you."
"Gracious, if you'd only told me, Stone;--I hope he'll have no moretrouble. But did you fix matters at Princeton for him?"
"Yes, but his skirts were not entirely clean and he'll have to repeathis year. I imagine he'll take Bligh back with him--those two havestruck up a great friendship."
"Stone, I'm going to see young Blunt, and apologize to him."
"What for? You've never said a word about him to anybody."
"No, but I've thought a lot. Come along."
"Blunt," said Robert later in the latter's room, "I apologize to you forimagining you did things which you didn't do."
"Oh, bother your apology, Drake. But, by George, I want to tell you youare a regular brick. You've a pile of nerve and are all sorts of a goodfellow. And isn't that chap Bligh a trump? Just to think of his using mycit suit, and his groaning for the supe. Say, that's the best thing thathas ever happened at the Naval Academy," and Blunt burst into a peal ofinfectious laughter.
After they left Harry, Stonewell said: "Now, Bob, we are going to callon Captain Blunt."
"I can't, Stone--you have no notion how awkward I feel."
"Of course you do, but you've got to get over that feeling, and it willonly last a moment."
But Robert didn't feel awkward at all; he had no chance to. He wasreceived by Mrs. Blunt with a loving cordiality that put him entirely athis ease. And Helen's manner was as bright and natural as usual.Captain Blunt said but little, but that little seemed to say, inaddition to the words he spoke: "I approve of this young man; he will bean honor to the cloth." The fact that Robert had acted under amisapprehension was not considered. The intent that animated him waswhat influenced their feelings.
Nellie Strong, who was visiting with the Blunts, as usual wastremendously interested in all that happened. "I just knew something wasto occur to you, Robert Drake," she exclaimed. "I never feel safe whenyou are around. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if a terrible Turk were toburst in upon us this minute and carry you off. You're positivelydangerous to have around."
"Nellie, I hear you are to lead our class german with Stonewell," wasRobert's smiling reply.
"Yes, and I'm just delighted over it. Helen Blunt thinks she's the mostimportant girl in town because she's going to present the flag to yourcompany; and I'm awfully glad she is, Robert; it's just fine. But I'dmuch rather lead the german with Mr. Stonewell. Helen's glory will lastonly five minutes--and mine will last for hours. What in the world areyou yawning for, Robert Drake? Don't you find my conversationinteresting enough to keep you awake? One would imagine you hadn't hadmany winks of sleep last night."
"I beg your pardon, Nellie," he said. "To tell you the truth now that Icome to think of it, I don't think I had even one wink last night."