Navy."

CHAPTER IV

IN THE VIEW OF THE NAVY DEPARTMENT

Dave Darrin did not let the news of the charges disturb his outward
serenity, though he was inwardly aware that perjured evidence might work
great harm to his future career.

Until he was advised by the Navy Department that charges had been made
against him, he really could do nothing in the matter.

But that letter from the Secretary was not long in coming. The letter
informed Midshipman Darrin that he has been accused of severely
assaulting a citizen without just provocation, and contained, also, some
of the circumstances alleged by Caspar Ardmore. Dave was commanded to
forward his defense promptly.

This Darrin did, in a courteous answer, as briefly as he could properly
make it. He admitted knocking Ardmore down, but stated that he did it in
resenting an insult offered by Ardmore to a young lady under his
(Darrin's) escort at the time.

This letter he showed Belle.

"It is the first step, on my side in the matter," he explained
with a smile.

"I should think the Secretary of the Navy ought to be satisfied with
your answer and drop it at once," replied Belle.

"He may."

"But you think he won't?"

"It is likely, Belle, that there will be a court of inquiry at least."

"Oh, dear!" cried Belle, a few tears gleaming in her eyes now. "Why
should so much fuss be made over the matter?"

"Because I am being trained to be an officer in the Navy. An officer must
be a gentleman as well. Any charge affecting a Naval officer's honor or
courtesy must be investigated, in order that the government may know
whether the accused is fit to hold an officer's commission. The
government wouldn't be dealing justly with the people if such standards
were not observed."

"And I am the cause of all this trouble for you?" cried Belle.

"No, Belle, you are not. You have nothing to do with the matter, except
indirectly. Ardmore is the one responsible for the trouble. If he had not
insulted you he wouldn't have gotten into any difficulty."

"It seems too bad, just the same."

"It's annoying; that's all," Dave assured her. "If I had to do the same
thing over again, for the same reason, I'd do it cheerfully."

Mrs. Meade heard of it all, from her daughter. Without saying a word as
to her intentions the mother herself wrote a letter to the Secretary of
the Navy. Mrs. Meade set forth the persistent fashion in which Ardmore
had sought to force his attentions upon B