“Good-night, Osborn. Come up to me some time when I have a mid-watch and we’ll have a talk.”
Ralph quickly settled down to ship’s ways. He was detailed to different duties with the rest of his class just as if he had not missed most of his cruise. But no words of the pen can express the joy he felt at being really a midshipman once more, and of his heartfelt happiness in being with his beloved comrades, Himski and Bollup.
The two weeks aboard the Texas passed swiftly and without special incident, and on August 28th all midshipmen were once more assembled at Annapolis and immediately dispersed to their homes; First Classman Osborn was soon on his way to Toledo, his program being to spend two weeks there and three weeks at Hampden Grove with Bollup.
CHAPTER XXVIII
First Class Leave at Hampden Grove
Ralph’s two weeks in Toledo were crowded with pleasant outings, and forcible were the indignant exclamations of some attractive young ladies when they learned their midshipman was to desert them; for, except at Annapolis, midshipmen are rare. Of course they wormed from him where he was to spend the rest of his September leave.
“With your classmate Bollup!” cried Mary Ainsworth. “Bollup, Bollup, Bollup! Gracious, what a name! And what’s his sister’s name, Ralph?”
“Gladys,” replied Ralph, innocently, whereupon everybody laughed at the trap he had fallen into; Ralph reddened and then joined in with them.
“Well,” said Mary Ainsworth scornfully, “I don’t wonder she was named Gladys; something should be done for a poor girl born with such an awful name as Bollup; her family evidently tried to strike an average when they gave her her first name.”
And so Ralph said his good-byes and in the middle of September was once more at Hampden Grove. Here nothing could exceed the loving cordiality with which Mrs. Bollup greeted him, the explosive joy of young Bollup, the unrestrained delight of Dorothy; Colonel Bollup soon started to mix up the mint juleps.