There was an agitated catch in Susie’s voice.  Their young hostess was worried by the thought that she had invited jarring elements to meet.

“Why, to be candid, I don’t believe Dodge ever admired either Greg or myself very much, replied Cadet Prescott evenly.

“But did I make a fearful mistake?” pleaded Susie.

“One cannot make a mistake who aims at the pleasure of others,” Dick answered smilingly.

Somewhat reassured, Susie asked her cadet guests to return with her to the drawing rooms.  There they joined a little group, and were chatting when a girl’s voice reached them from a few feet away.  The girl who was speaking did not realize that her tones carried as far as the ears of Dick and Greg as she explained to two other young women: 

“Mr. Dodge said he resigned from the Military Academy because he could not stand the crowd there.”

“I guess that’s true,” muttered Dick inwardly.  “The crowd couldn’t stand Dodge, either.”

But Sam Foss made the conversation general by calling: 

“How about that, Dick!  I always thought West Point was a very select place.  Bessie Frost says Dodge left West Point because he thought the fellows there rather below his grade socially.”

“Perhaps they are,” nodded Dick gravely, but in even tones.  “I have heard it stated that about sixty per cent. of the cadets are the sons of wage-earners.  Indeed, one of the cadets whom I most respect has not attempted to conceal the fact that, until he graduates and begins to draw officer’s pay, his mother will have to continue to support herself at the washtub.  That young man is now in the first class, and I can tell you that we are all mighty anxious to see that man graduate and find himself where he can look after a noble mother who has the misfortune to be unusually poor in purse.”

“Then as an American, I’m proud of West Point, if it has fellows with no more false shame than that,” cried Foss heartily.

“Why, I always thought West Point a very swell place, extremely so,” murmured Bessie Frost.  “In fact—­pardon me, won’t you—–­I have always heard that the young men at West Point are very much puffed up and very exclusive.”

Dick laughed good-humoredly.

“Of course, Miss Frost, the cadet is expected to learn how to become a gentleman as well as an officer.  Yet why should any of us feel unduly conceited?  We are privileged to secure one of the best educations to be obtained in the world, but we obtain it at public expense.  Not only our education, but all our living expenses are paid for out of the nation’s treasury, and that money is contributed by all tax-payers alike.  If we of the cadet corps should get any notion that we belong to a superior race of beings, to whom would we owe it all?  Are the cadets not indebted for their opportunities to all the citizens of the United States?”

“Did Bert Dodge have any especial trouble at West Point?” asked another girl.