"
"I have, sir," Dick assented.
"Twice it has happened, when I have been on duty, that you have
had to report classmates to me. Now, I'm not going to step over
the line by asking you whether those reports were the basis of
your being sent to Coventry. But, to please myself, I'm going
to assume that such is the case."
To this Dick made no reply. It was an instance in which a cadet
could not, with propriety, discuss class action with an officer
on duty at the Military Academy.
"Now, Prescott, I'm not going to ask you whether my surmise is
a correct one, but I'm going to ask you another question, as a
friend only, and in no official way. Of course, in a friendly
matter you may suit yourself about answering it. Have you done
anything else that could excuse the class in punishing you?"
"Nothing whatever, sir."
"Mr. Prescott, aren't you wholly satisfied with your conduct?"
"I don't quite know how to answer that, Mr. Denton,"
"Have you done anything that you wouldn't repeat if the need arose?"
"I have not, sir," replied Dick with great earnestness.
"Do you feel, in your own soul, that you have done anything to
discredit the splendid old gray uniform that you wear?"
"I do not, sir."
"Answer this, or not, as you please. Don't you feel wholly convinced
that your class has done you an injustice which it would reverse
instantly if it knew all the circumstances?"
"I feel certain that my classmates would restore me at once to their
favor, if they knew the full circumstances.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93