“A fellow has to take these things sometimes, and I do not need any sympathy. What made me so provoked was that I could not find out who set it all up. And now I come to the thrilling part of my tale of woe. You remember that we thought it might be the younger cadets getting it back on us older fellows, but I was the only one so favored!
“I think that I told you once, Betty, about the little rivalry in our class, and the fellow that would scarcely speak to me because I made the first team and he didn’t.”
“Yes, but I have forgotten his name.”
“Newt Fuller. He is a great follower of Captain Holley. Then there is another named Jim Clark that was friendly with me, until he began to go around with Newt and his friends, and roomed with one of them. I had noticed that they were not any too cordial, but didn’t pay much attention. I treat all the boys alike, except to have an especial pal or two, as all of them do.
“Well, shortly after the reception, I noticed Jim’s starting to say something to me two or three times, then looking all around and changing his mind. Finally, I asked him what was the matter, if he wanted to speak to me about something. We were separating after drill that time. ‘Sh-sh!’ he said. ‘Yes, I do, but I can’t tell you now. If I can get a chance, I’ll tell you something one of these days. I don’t dare now. But watch your step!’”
“Mercy sakes!” cried Betty. “Is anybody going to do anything very terrible to you?”
“No, indeed. Nothing very serious, I’m sure. Of course, my mind ran back to the cause of my being on probation, and I began to connect that with Newt, because Jim was with that crowd.”
“Then it wasn’t the younger cadets at all?”
“No, not a bit of it. To go on with the story—old Jim would look awfully guilty whenever he saw me, and I remembered that he had looked funny before when he saw me, but I had not thought about it. As a conspirator, Jim is not a success!” Donald’s half suppressed laugh here amused Betty, who laughed, too, and several girls and boys not far away looked over to see what the fun might be.
“Some of our friends will be joining us in a few moments,” said Donald. “I’d better sober down, if I don’t want to be interrupted. To continue, as the books say, finally, one time not long ago, Jim and I happened along together on the ice, probably out of sight of any of the other conspirators, for Jim skated up to me. We did a few figures, and Jim told me what by that time I was expecting, that it was set up. He was the one who sent the word that called me out of my room, and he and another cadet tore up the place a little, thought it was fun and nothing more than the boys sometimes do to each other. ‘But, Donald,’ he said, ‘I did not put those cigarettes and ashes in your room. I heard Newt and the other boys talking about it afterwards, and knew that they must have been there after I left. I nearly gave the thing away when I saw you, walking up and down after the girls had arrived for the reception.’ And now, Betty, Jim said, ‘I wanted to tell you, but the worst of it is that there is somebody in authority who suggested the whole thing. Can you guess? Who didn’t want you to be at that reception?’” Donald paused.