“Have you come to any conclusion?” he was asked.
“Yes, sir, but I hesitate to give it.”
“Why?”
“Because I may be entirely wrong, sir; I may do a classmate an awful injury.”
“I understand that,” admitted Commander Thornton, aglow with interest, “but we must pursue every circumstance to wherever it may lead us. I want you to tell me frankly just what you suspect. This matter will be entirely confidential between you and me. If your suspicions are wrong no harm will be done.”
“Well, sir, I have hunted for a motive. No one could desire such injury toward Mr. Osborn except by a strong motive of revenge. Before Mr. Osborn came to the Academy he never experienced the enmity of anybody. That is certain, and since he has been a midshipman there have been repeated efforts from an unknown source to get him into serious trouble, to defame and disgrace him.”
“Yes, yes I know,” cut in the commandant impatiently.
“He never has had trouble except with that man Short; Mr. Osborn caused Short to be dismissed with ignominy, and I have come to the conclusion that Short was the real author of the dastardly attempts against Mr. Osborn.”
“I could believe that if Mr. Short had remained at Annapolis; but if he were the author then he must have had a tool in the Academy.”
“Yes, sir. After coming to this conclusion I have endeavored to learn everything I could about Short. I knew him, of course; when preparing for entrance here he rented a furnished house and had four candidates live with him as his guests. Two of these failed to pass the entrance examination; one entered but failed last year, so there now remains at the Academy but one midshipman who was once one of Short’s guests. Also I learned out in town, Saturday, that Short was seen to enter the Maryland Hotel the night of the June ball, last year. The livery-stable keeper saw him and recognized him. And a strange coincidence happened. After I left the livery-stable last Saturday afternoon which is near the railway station, I passed a man who was in a great hurry. He had just alighted from a carriage and was about to go into the station. This man was Short, I’m certain of it. He wore a heavy mustache but I know it was Short. I said, ‘Hello, Short!’ And he said: ‘You’ve made a mistake, mister.’ This proves that Short was in town a few days after the last attempt was made against Mr. Osborn, and I connect him with that attempt.”