isitors, came the evening promenade, a solemnly
joyous and very dressy affair.

Then came that memorable graduation morning, when so many dozens
of young midshipmen, since famous in the Navy, received their
diplomas.

Early the young men turned out.

"It seems queer to be turning out without arms, doesn't it?" grumbled
Dan Dalzell.

But it is the rule for the graduating class to turn out without
arms on this one very grand morning. The band formed on the right
of line. Next to them marched to place the graduating class,
minus arms. Then the balance of the brigade under arms.

When the word was given a drum or two sounded the step, and off
the brigade marched, slowly and solemnly. A cornet signal, followed
by a drum roll, and then the Naval Academy Band crashed into the
joyous march, consecrated to this occasion, "Ain't I glad I'm
out of the wilderness!"

"Amen! Indeed I'm glad," Dave Darrin murmured devoutly under
his breath. "There has been many a time in the last four years
when I didn't expect to graduate. But now it's over. Nothing
can stop Dan or myself!"

Crowds surrounded the entrance to the handsome, classic chapel,
though the more favored crowds had already passed inside and filled
the seats that are set apart for spectators.

Inside filed the midshipmen, going to their seats in front. The
chaplain, in the hush that followed the seating, rose, came forward
and in a voice husky with emotion urged:

"Friends, let us pray for the honor, success, glory and steadfast
manhood through life of the young men who are about to go forth
with their diplomas."

Every head was bowed while the chaplain's petition ascended.

When the prayer was over the superintendent, in full dress uniform,
stepped to the front of the rostrum and made a brief address.
Sailors are seldom long-winded talkers. The superintendent's
address, on this very formal occasion, lasted barely four minutes.
But what he said was full of earnest manhood and honest patriotism.

Then the superintendent dropped to his chair. There were not
so very many dry eyes when the choir beautifully intoned:

"God be with you till we meet again!"

But now another figure appeared on the rostrum. Though few of
the young men had ever seen this new-comer, they knew him by instinct.
At a signal from an officer standing at the side of the chapel,
the members of the brigade broke forth into thunderous hurrahs.
For this man, now about to address them,