And meanwhile, over in the hospital, Dunmore was growing weaker and weaker as the advancing springtide was bringing to Nelly Bolivar renewed health and strength, so strangely are things ordered in this world, and with Easter the brave spirit took its flight, leaving many to mourn the lad whom all had so loved.  For some time the shadow of his passing lay upon the Academy, then spring athletics absorbed every one’s interest and Ralph made the crew, to Polly’s intense delight.  In May he rowed on the plebe crew against a high school crew and beat them “to a standstill.”  Then came rehearsal for the show to be given by the Masqueraders, the midshipmen’s dramatic association, and at this occurred something which would have been pronounced utterly impossible had the world’s opinion been asked.  The show was to be given the last week in May.

Mr. Harold and Mr. Stewart would arrive a few days before, each on a month’s leave.  As Happy was one of the moving spirits of the show, he was up to his eyes in business.  Clever in everything he undertook, he was especially talented in music, playing well and composing in no mediocre manner.  He had written practically all the score of the musical comedy to be given by the Masqueraders, and among other features, a whistling chorus.

Now if there was one thing Polly could do it was whistle.  Indeed, she insisted that it was her only accomplishment and many a happy little impromptu concert was given in Middies’ Haven with Happy’s guitar, Shortie’s mandolin and Durand’s violin.

Of course, all the characters in the play were taken by the boys, many of them making perfectly fascinating girls, but when the whistling chorus was written by Happy, Polly was no small aid to him, and again and again this chorus was rehearsed in Middies’ Haven, sometimes by a few of the number who would compose it, and again by the entire number; the star performer being a little chap from Ralph’s class whose voice still held its boyish treble and whose whistle was like a bird’s notes.  Naturally, Polly had learned the entire score, for one afternoon during the past autumn while the girls were riding through the beautiful woodlands near Severndale, Polly had whistled an answer to a bob-white’s call.  So perfect had been her mimicry that the bird had been completely deceived and answering repeatedly, had walked almost up to Silver Star’s feet.  Peggy was enraptured, and then learned that Polly could mimic many bird calls, and whistle as sweetly as the birds themselves.  Peggy had lost no time in making this known to the boys, much to Polly’s embarrassment, but the outcome had been the delightful little concerts, and Happy had made the various bird notes the theme of his bird chorus.  It was a wonderfully pretty thing and bound to make a big hit, so all agreed.  Consequently, little Van Nostrand had been drilled until he declared he woke himself up in the night whistling, and so the days sped away.  Mr. Harold and Daddy Neil had arrived and the morning of the Masqueraders’ show dawned.  In less than twelve hours the bird chorus would be on the stage whistling Polly’s bird notes.  Then Wharton Van Nostrand fell ill with tonsilitis and was packed off to the hospital!