After Ralph was settled with Himski it seemed to him that he had never been so free from worry since his entrance at Annapolis. He was firm in the belief that Creelton was the secret enemy who had so shamefully attacked him, and now, knowing in his heart that it was Creelton, he no longer worried about it. A secret enemy may be feared while a known one disdained. And this was the effect upon Ralph. A heavy, anxious load seemed immediately lifted from his mind. He kept entirely aloof from Creelton and cut him utterly. Neither he nor Creelton told anybody of the cause of the trouble between them. When questioned Creelton said it was a misunderstanding; Ralph said he could not discuss it.
Toward Creelton Ralph had but one thought; that it was a monstrous idea that a man so vicious and criminal, as Ralph believed Creelton to be, could remain a midshipman; he wanted to have Creelton’s room searched and proposed other means to determine the question of his guilt. Creelton’s room was searched, at his own request, by Himski, but no evidence was found against him. From this time on Creelton roomed alone and gradually withdrew from the set he had formerly been most intimate with. But he was a bright young man mentally, and in his studies stood near the head of his class.
CHAPTER XXII
Ralph at Bollup’s Home
“How did you come out in your exams to-day, Os?” asked Himski at the end of May, when the annual examinations were held.
“Pretty well, old chap; how did you?”
“I guess I made three fifty, but if you admit doing ‘pretty well’ it means you made a four. It’s wonderful how you knock exams, Os.”
Ralph laughed happily. “I admit I enjoy my studies,” he said; “it now seems so easy to make big marks. But you’ll stand number one for the year, Himski; I’m up in math[7] and skinny,[8] but way down in French. You’re one in that and I’m number thirty; you’ll head the class in the general average for the year.”
“Perhaps, but everything is math next year and you’ll surely stand first. And I’ll be glad to see you, too. But look out for Bollup; he’s doing very well in everything.”
“He is indeed, and he’s a double-riveted, copper-bottomed, bevel-edged, all round good fellow. Nothing could please me more than to see good fortune come to Bollup. But did you see the marks old Moehler gave me for the month? He gave me a four every day; he isn’t such a bad fellow after all, is he?”