“But I’ll wager he didn’t blame us,” retorted Prescott, his eyes twinkling.

“He said that, if it hadn’t been for you and Greg, the Navy would have won the game,” retorted Belle.

“I hope that’s true,” declared Dick boldly.

“Oh, you do, Mister Prescott?  And why?” asked Belle.

“Because I belong to the Army, and I want always to see the Army win.”

“If West Point defeats Annapolis next Thanksgiving, and if its because of you and Greg, then I’ll never speak to either of you again,” asserted Belle.

“Come along, Dick,” laughed Laura.  “Belle’s positively dangerous when she talks about the Navy!”

“The Navy is the only real branch of the service,” declared Belle, with a toss of her head.  “Everybody says so.  The Army is merely nothing—–­positive zero!”

“Laughing good-humoredly, Greg piloted Belle up the long, winding walk that leads to the West Point plain.  Dick and Laura soon fell in behind, at some distance, walking very slowly.

“Did you have a tiresome trip here?” inquired Dick.

“No; a very pleasant one,” Laura replied.

“I should think a long journey would be tedious to women traveling without male escort,” Dick went on.

“We had escort as far as New York,” Laura replied promptly.

“Oh, you did?” inquired Prescott, feeling a swift sinking at heart.

“Yes; Mr. Cameron had to make a flying trip to New York.  He had to come at about this time, so he put it off for three or four days in order to travel through with us.  Wasn’t that nice of him?”

“Extremely nice of him,” admitted the cadet rather huskily.  “I—–­I suppose he will return with you from New York.”

“We expect him to,” Laura admitted.  “But what a great game that must have been, Dick!  How I wish Belle and I had gone over to Philadelphia to see it.”

“It was an exciting game, and a hard-fought one.”

Laura chatted on gayly, and at the same time displayed much enthusiasm over the life at West Point.  Yet Dick, though he strove to conceal the fact, was low spirited over the attentions of Mr. Cameron.

The two cadets had permission to visit at the hotel, so went into the parlor until the girls joined them there.  Later, as there was no snow on the ground, a stroll about the post was proposed and enjoyed.

Dick made out Laura’s card for the dance that night, while Greg attended to Belle’s.  Many were the cadets who glared at Dick and Greg for not having inscribed their names on the dance cards of these two very “spoony femmes.” (pretty girls.)

After one of her dances with Dick, Belle asked him to lead her out into the corridor, where the air was cooler.

“Shall I go after your wrap?” asked Dick solicitously.

“Goodness, no,” replied Belle.  “I’m not as sensitive as that.”

Then, abruptly changing the subject, Miss Meade asked:  “What do you think of Mr. Cameron?”