“No, sir, he has not a suspicion of it, for I come on my own responsibility, knowing the facts.”
“It does you credit, let me say, Perry, and your reasoning is so good that I shall look into the matter myself.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“But what does Merrill say of the demerits he receives?”
“I have only heard him express himself once, sir, and then he said that it was not the plain sailing he had hoped to have here, for in spite of his every effort to win success he seemed to make a dead failure of it.”
“I see; but do not speak of this visit to Merrill or any one else, and I’ll see what explanation can be arrived at of his many demerits.”
“Simply, sir, that he has a secret foe,” was the almost blunt assertion of Bemis Perry.
“Then he is fortunate in having also a secret friend in you, Mr. Perry,” was the commandant’s smiling response; and Bemis Perry saluted and retired, satisfied that he had acted as he should have done to save Mark Merrill from an underhand foe, who meant his dismissal from the academy.