As the money lender shrank back out of Jordan’s reach, the cadet strode off swiftly.

Mr. Jordan was in his bed when the subdivision inspector went through the rooms that night.

At morning roll call, however, Jordan did not answer.

An investigation showed that he had gone.  All his uniforms and other equipment he had left behind, from which it was judged that Jordan had, in some way, managed to get hold of an outfit of civilian attire.

Jordan had deserted, with a heart full of hate for Dick Prescott, with whom the deserter swore to be “even” before the academic year was out.

CHAPTER XV

The class meeting “Sizzles”

That Sunday, save Greg, none of the cadets addressed Prescott.

Anstey, however, thought up a new way of getting around the “silence.”  As he passed Dick, the Virginian winked very broadly.  Other cadets were quick to catch the idea.  Wherever Dick went that Sunday he was greeted with winks.

Monday Dick was in a fever of excitement.  For once he fared badly in his marks won in the section rooms.

When evening came around every member of the first class, save Prescott, hurried off to class meeting.  For the first time in many months, Greg attended.

As the cadets began to gather, excitement ran high.  The room was full of suppressed noise until President Douglass rapped sharply for order.

Then, instantly all became as still as a church.

“Will Mr. Fullerton please take the chair?” asked the class president.  “The present presiding officer wishes the privileges of the floor.”

Amid more intense silence Fullerton went forward to the chair, while Douglass stepped softly down to the floor.

“Mr. Chairman,” called Douglass.

“Mr. Douglass has the floor.”

Douglass was already on his feet, of course.  He plunged into an accurate narrative of what had happened, and what he had overheard, on Saturday night.  He told it all without embellishment or flourish, and wound up by calling attention to Jordan’s plain enough desertion from the corps.

Durville then obtained the floor.  He corroborated all that the class president had just narrated.

“May I now make a motion, sir?” demanded Durville, turning finally toward the class president.

“Yes,” nodded Cadet Douglass.

“Mr. Chairman, I move that the first class, United States Military Academy, remove the Coventry and the silence that have been put upon our comrade, Mr. Richard Prescott.  I move that, by class resolution, we express to him our regret for the great though unintentional injustice that has been done Mr. Prescott during these many months.”

“I second the motion!” shouted Douglass.

It was carried amid an uproar.  If there were any present who did not wish to see Dick thus reinstated, they were wise enough to keep their opinions to themselves.