“What about baseball this spring, Jack?” questioned his sister just before the cadets were ready to start.
“I’ll be out of that this year. There is a new ruling that officers must step aside and let the other cadets have a chance on the baseball nine and the football eleven, as well as have a chance in the rowing and other contests. Colonel Colby has an idea that not enough cadets have filled these various places in the past. He wants to give every fellow a chance if possible.”
“Well, you can’t blame him for that.”
“Not at all, Martha. I’m quite content to step aside so far as baseball is concerned, and so is Fred. We want to do our best as officers and also do our best with our studies. You know the folks at home are expecting us to make real records in the classrooms.”
“I know that only too well, Jack. Mary and I are working day and night on our lessons here. We’re going to do our best to come out either at the head of our classes or very near to it.”
“How is Ruth making out?”
“She’s doing very well. Of course, she had a hard struggle to catch up on account of the time lost because of her eyesight.”
Following the parade to Clearwater Hall the cadets settled down to the usual routine of drills and studies. But soon there came a call for aspirants to the baseball team, and then talk of the coming matches with Columbus Academy, Hixley High, and Longley Academy filled the air.
“Gee! it makes my hands tingle to think about baseball,” sighed Fred, when talking the matter over with Jack.
“I feel the same way,” answered the young major. “But remember, Fred, we can’t have everything in this world, and I’d rather be major of the school battalion—at least, for one term.”