"So," continued Greg, "I'm going to drag Laura tonight, and Anstey is going to do the same for Belle."
"And we'll suhtinly see to it that they have, outside of ourselves, of course, the handsomest men in the corps to dance with!" exclaimed Anstey. "If any fine and handsome fellow even tries to get out of it, I'll call him out and fight him stiff, suh!"
"I'm glad you have persuaded the girls to go," nodded Dick cheerily. "That will give me a happier evening than anything else could do just now."
"What will you do this evening, Dick?" asked Greg.
"I? Oh, I'll be busy—-and contented at the same time. Tell that to Laura and Belle, please."
Yet it was with a sense of weariness that Dick turned out for supper formation. There were more pleasant greetings as he moved to his place in ranks, and that made him feel better for the moment. At his table at cadet mess he was amiably and cheerily included in all the merry conversation that flew around.
Then back to quarters Dick went, and soon saw Greg and Anstey, looking their spooniest in their full-dress uniforms, depart on the mission of dragging.
Prescott hardly sighed as he moved over to the study table. He read over a score of times the notes the girls had sent him.
Then came an orderly, who handed in a telegram. Dick opened this with nervous fingers. His eyes lit up when he found that it came from Annapolis. The message read:
"Dear old Dick! You're the straightest fellow on earth! We know. Don't let anybody get your goat!"