True Blue: Stirring Stories of Naval Academy Life — page 44: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

42 TRUE BLUR. preceded by Kidgley, come into quarters from exactly the opposite direction. | When Clif had settled beyond dispute that the létter the blacked-up man had received had been written by no less a person than Miss bessie Stuart, his worst fears were aroused. se Usually the peril of a friend stimulated Clif to prompt hefoic measures, in the case of a beautiful, innocent girl, however, the frst shock was that of terror, amid the appealing tender- ness Of her naturally helpless position. . Chit had been fairly overcome at the astounding revela- tion of the hour, for he instantly divined that the real motive of the hoodoo and his companion was in some way to harm and hamper Bessie Stuart. lor fully ten minutes after his identification of Bessie’s handwriting, Clif sat where he had dropped, thinking furiously. These fellows had got her address from the blunder- headed Chawncey De Lawncey, and had managed to in- veigle her into a correspondence. What was their purpose, for by their own acknowledg- ment, here was the start of a plot—a sinister one, surely, and affecting Clif himself further down the line? Tormented with a thousand distracting doubts, Clif lost valuable time. tle aroused himself as with a spur to recover wasted Opportunity and pursue the two men. Within thirty minutes. however, he realized that they had got an effective start of him. A new idea struck him The naval cadet turned hasty steps homewards. Clif: Faraday was in command of the camp, therefore the duties of the hour held him bound to routine, and he did not seek to shirk them. Clif Faraday was also ip command of his friends, how- ever, and soon he had loyal Vic, staunch Ridgely and the tireless Fishcake in active counsel and sympathy. Chi stated all the details of the affair as comprehended by himself up to date. There was a general assent to his decision. Two vil- lains had taken advantage of Chawncey De Lawncey’s