At Dick's table the silence was absolute.
Even Captain Reid, cadet commissary, noticed it and understood,
in his trip of inspection through mess hall.
The thing that Reid, who was an Army officer, did not know was---who
was the victim? He never guessed Prescott, who was class president,
and believed to be one of the tallest of the class idols.
It speaks volumes for the intended justice of the cadets when they
will, in time of fancied need, destroy even their idols.
Thus it went on for some days.
Dick performed all of his duties as usual, and as well as usual.
Nothing in his demeanor showed how keenly he felt the humiliation
that had been put upon him. Only in his failure to attempt any
social address of a classmate did he betray his recognition of
the silence.
Greg did his best to cheer up his chum. Anstey expressed greatest
sorrow and sympathy for his friend Prescott. Holmes promptly
reported this conversation to Dick. Other good friends expressed
their sorrow to Holmes. In every case he bore the name and the
implied message hastily to the young cadet captain.
A few whom Dick had considered his good friends did not thus put
themselves on record. Dick thereupon understood that they had
acted upon their best information and convictions, and he honored
them for being able to put friendship aside in the interests of
tradition and corps honor.
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