“Sure thing; but you saw how he stood with his own class.”
“The plebes alone cannot elect him to the committee.”
“They won’t be alone.”
“He has no popularity outside his class.”
“But he’s got money, and he’ll use it.”
“I decline to believe,” said Dick, “that the fellows here at the academy can be bought.”
“Say, when congressmen and senators can be bought at Washington you don’t want to bet your pile that fellows here at school are much different.”
“Still I will not believe it,” said Dick. “I don’t care to take any part in this affair, Brad. I have enough to think of without dipping into this. If my friends oppose Arlington they may work against him but I am going to keep out of it.”
“That’s where he wins! Why, you can go out and defeat him in an hour! Just you go to work against him and you will carry things as you like. But if you sit down and don’t do a thing, the fellows will think you are indifferent, and he’ll carry them.”
Dick was strongly tempted to take a hand in the affair, but again he thought of his promise to Mrs. Arlington, and that held him in check.