“Produce the discovery,” begged Darrin.  “The really fine girl,” announced Dan, in a hollow voice, “prefers some other fellow to me.”

“Well, I guess that’ll be a fine idea for you to nurse—–­until after graduation,” reflected Darrin aloud.  “I’m not going to seek to undeceive you, Danny boy.”

So Dave went off to meet Belle and her mother, while Dan Dalzell hunted up another first classman who also believed that the girls didn’t particularly esteem him.  That other fellow was Midshipman Jetson.

“Mrs. Davis is giving a lawn party this afternoon,” announced Dave, after he had lifted his cap in greeting of Mrs. Meade and her daughter.  “I have an invitation from Mrs. Davis to escort you both over to her house.  Of course, if you find the tea and chatter a bit dull over there, we can go somewhere else presently.”

“I never find anything dull that is a part of the life here,” returned Belle, little enthusiast for the Navy.  “It will suit you, mother?”

“Anything at all will suit me,” declared Mrs. Meade amiably.  “David, just find me some place where I can drop into an armchair and have some other middle-aged woman like myself to talk with.  Then you young people need pay no further heed to me.  Examination week doesn’t last forever.”

“It doesn’t,” laughed Darrin, “and many of our fellows are very thankful for that.”

“How are you going to come through?” Belle asked, with a quick little thrill of anxiety.

“Nothing to worry about on that score,” Dave assured her.  “I’m sufficiently ‘savvy’ to pull sat. all right.”

“Isn’t that fine?  And Dan?”

“Oh, he’ll finish sat., too, if he doesn’t sight another craft flying pink hair ribbons.”

“Any danger of that?” asked Belle anxiously, for Dan was a townsman of hers.

“Not judging by the company that Dan is keeping to-day,” smiled Darrin.

“Who is his companion to-day, then?”

“Jetson, a woman hater.”

“Really a woman hater?” asked Belle.

“Oh, no; Jet wouldn’t poison all girls, or do anything like that.  He isn’t violent against girls.  In fact, he’s merely shy when they’re around.  But in the service any fellow who isn’t always dancing attendance on the fair is doomed to be dubbed a woman hater.  In other words, a woman hater is just a fellow who doesn’t pester girls all the time.”

“Are you a woman hater?” Belle asked.

“Except when you are at Annapolis,” was Dave’s ready explanation.

That afternoon’s lawn party proved a much more enjoyable affair than the young people had expected.  Belle met there, for the first time, five or six girls with whom she was to be thrown often later on.

When it was over, Dave, having town liberty as well, proudly escorted his sweetheart and her mother back to the hotel.

There were more days like it.  Dave, by Thursday, realizing that he was coming through his morning trials with flying colors, had arranged permission to take out a party in one of the steamers.