“I can’t conceive what you’re thinking of, Bright! For a year and a half you were the A No. 1 fellow in this school; but for four months, without any reasonable cause, you’ve stood still in your tracks. You’ve kept up with your classes because you couldn’t help it; but you’ve sat and moped and growled till you’re fossilized and moulded, and the moss is growing on you. To-day you woke up long enough to get into an undignified squabble with a private in the ranks, and now you’re going to drop off to sleep again. Brace up, Bright! For goodness’ sake, brace up, and don’t let yourself go to the dogs this way!”
Brightly looked a little surprised at first, then slightly indignant, and then, with a forced air of weariness, he replied,—
“Don’t worry about me, Charley. I feel fully competent to take care of myself.” After a moment’s pause, he continued with more vigor: “But I will be obeyed in the ranks. Belcher was obstinate and ugly. I lost all patience with him, and I went further than I ought; I admit that, but the circumstances were a sufficient excuse.”
“No, they were not. They were aggravating; so much the more reason why you should hold your temper. You remember Colonel Silsbee warned us, when we were commissioned, to exercise patience as well as firmness, and to—”
“Oh, don’t quote Colonel Silsbee to me! If he doesn’t want me to reprove his blockheads he’s not obliged to keep me in commission. He might as well have left me in the ranks in the first place, so far as that is concerned.”
Harple drew his chair a trifle nearer.
“Bright, look here! I know what the trouble is; it’s all about that matter of the appointments. You ought to have been captain of Company A,—I admit that freely; you deserved it on every account; but what’s the use in giving up to disappointment? You have a good thing as it is. There isn’t a more showy, responsible, soldierly position in the battalion than that of adjutant. And then there are only two of us who out-rank you, Brede and I; and as for me, you know I’d lay down my sword and shoulder-straps and go back into the ranks to-morrow if it could help you, or bring you to yourself again.”
“Oh, yes, I know that. I don’t care so much about your ranking me, Charley; that’s all right. You’re fitted to fill any position you get, and you deserve the best. It simply occurs to me that after a fellow has been here two years, and has stood at the head of the school in study-marks, and has behaved himself reasonably well, he shouldn’t be insulted by having such an egotistical fool as Brede is placed over him in rank.”
“Well, Brede can’t really help being stuck up and silly; it’s in him. But he makes a good officer in many respects; he doesn’t get easily embarrassed, has plenty of self-esteem—”
“Oh, yes, lots of it; struts around in his shoulder-straps as though he owned the school; is constantly showing his infinite superiority over everybody in general and me in particular. It’s a good thing I’m on the staff and not under his immediate command. I wouldn’t stand his insolence for an hour. I detest the fellow,—absolutely detest him!”