“You’re not afraid of failing?” asked Laura anxiously.

“I’m not going to allow myself to fail.  Yet, even if I win, I shall be tired out after the ordeal.  Wish the ball could come a couple of days alter the ordeal.  I wanted to go to it and to dance with you, Laura.”

“I’m sorry you can’t go,” sighed the girl.

Darrin, too, had given up all thoughts of attending the senior ball, and this was the first time that either lad had “skipped” the class ball.

“It seems too bad to be away,” grumbled Dave.  “But I know how I’ll feel on that night.  If I carry off the honors for Annapolis, no mere ball could hold me!  I’ll need air and space.  I’ll be lucky if I don’t get arrested on that night for building bonfires in the streets.”

Dave next sighed dismally and continued: 

“If I don’t carry off the Annapolis prize, I’ll feel so disappointed that I won’t look anybody in the face!  Dick, Dick!  It’s fearful, this waiting—–­and wanting!”

“It won’t seem like the class ball a bit without you two boys,” declared Belle Meade, pouting, the next afternoon.

“But if we get through,” muttered Dave, “think of the gay, splendid times to which we can invite you at Annapolis and West Point.”

“Indianapolis and Blue Point are far away,” murmured Belle, purposely misnaming both famous places.

“Ann-apolis!” flared Dave

“West Point!” protested Dick hotly.

“Don’t mind Belle,” begged Laura quietly.  “She’s the worst tease I know.”

“If I get the appointment to Annapolis,” continued Darrin, “you’ll be asking me, next, if I expect to be promoted, after a while, to he helmsman, or fireman, on some cruiser.”

“Well, would you expect to be!” asked Belle, with an appearance of great innocence.

“Don’t, Belle,” pleaded Laura.  “The boy are too much in earnest.  It isn’t fair to tease them, now.  Wait until they’ve been at West Point and Annapolis a couple of years.  Then ask them.”

“What would be the use then?” asked Belle dryly.  “By that time our young cadets will have met so many girls that they would have to think back quite a while before they could remember our names.”

Laura’s pretty color lessened for an instant.

“Don’t you believe it,” broke in Dick promptly.  “Just as soon as I have a right ask for cards for a West Point hop I’m going to ask for cards for Miss Bentley and Miss Deane, and their chaperon.”

“The same here, for Annapolis,” promised Dave solemnly.  “So you see, girls, you’ll have to be prepared to do some traveling in the near future.

“But you won’t get to Annapolis, anyway, until June,” replied Belle, a bit more gently.  “So you won’t have any Annapolis hops until next fall, will you?”

“Probably not,” Dave admitted.

“But you won’t go to Annapolis, anyway,” suggested Laura, turning to Prescott.  “There may be some West Point hops between then and June.”