In the little world, then, at the Naval School, the going wrong of Barney Breslin was a blow to the cadets which all keenly felt.
It was like a disgrace upon them all to have one not only be guilty of theft, but to try and place the dishonor of his act upon a fellow cadet.
The young sailors gathered about in knots and discussed the affair.
Not the shadow of a cloud rested upon Mark Merrill, but sympathy was felt for him that he should have been the victim of the thief.
Breslin had sent out an explanation of his act after going to his room.
He had often borrowed the lucky coin and carried it for days, and that day he had found it on the floor, where Clemmons must have dropped it, and so had put it in his pocket, intending later to return it.
Not seeing Clemmons until they had met in the gymnasium, and then learning about his supposed loss, he had said nothing about having it, and in a spirit of fun had put it in Merrill’s pocket, intending to explain the joke, as he called it, after it had been discovered who had it.
But Merrill had accused him, Breslin, of being the thief, and so in his anger he had resented it.
Such was Barney Breslin’s explanation, as written by him, and read to the cadets by Scott Clemmons, who was inclined to accept it as the truth.
But the cadets were not so lenient as was Scott Clemmons.