CHAPTER XXXII
Ralph Finds His Uncle at Last
“What part did you play in that crazy scheme?” asked Ralph of Himski, when the latter returned to his room after supper.
“I didn’t suppose you’d approve, Os,” replied Himski. “I was against it at first but Bollup was wild; he was bound to do something. And, Os, he has given you, however little you value it, what he prized most on earth, his stripes.”
“I know that and the thought of it is everything to me. But how in the world did he get the commandant and superintendent to do it?”
“That was really simple; these men did it more to ease down their own consciences than for any other reason; they knew they had treated you badly. Bollup clinched the matter by reporting himself for Frenching this year and last also, and told how you prevented him from Frenching the other night; and he told why you Frenched last year. No official notice will be taken of the reports he made against himself, but after all he said no superintendent could have allowed him to hold on to his stripes. So to give them to you was an easy slide. Now take the thing quietly and don’t let Bollup know how little you think of getting his job.”
“All right. I’ll think of what he gave, not what I received. But, Himski, I can’t express how happy I feel at having such friends; when the thing happened I couldn’t speak. Well, I’ll not let old Bollup know the stripes aren’t as precious to me as they were to him—good old Bol! I tell you, Himski, I have had some hard times here but I don’t regret one of them. Creelton has gone and there’s nothing that can touch me now; and we’re going to graduate in less than two weeks; won’t it be glorious for us to march to the tune of ‘Ain’t I glad to get out of the Wilderness,’ in our own right?”
As a matter of fact, before the two weeks had finished Ralph did enjoy his four stripes. Although it was practically an honorary position for Ralph yet he knew the four stripes signalized his importance to the officers and the hundreds of visitors now present at formations. Contented as he had been as a clean sleever he enjoyed giving the few orders he was called upon to give, and he felt natural and easy in giving them. And he had the feeling he was in his right place at last; thus he finally appreciated the four stripes Bollup had given him far more than he had expected to at first.
Graduation day drew near, and before it came Bollup’s mother and two sisters had come to Annapolis; Dorothy, though only thirteen years old, had made such a fuss at being left at home that finally she was allowed to come.
It was an enthusiastic greeting that met Mrs. Bollup and her two daughters. “And this is Mr. Himski, of course,” said the warm-hearted woman, after she had expressed her delight at seeing her “two boys” again; and Himski was immediately adopted into the family.