Me."

This air will always be associated with the United Service---the
Army and Navy. It is a rollicking, jolly, spirited old tune,
as it needs must be for "The Girl I Left Behind Me" is the tune
that is played when the country's defenders, in war time, are
marching away for the front, after just having said the last goodbye
to mother, sister and sweetheart.

Just now, however, the old air had none of the tragic connected
with it. It was all in the spirit of fun. Laura, blushing furiously,
and Belle striving to appear wholly unconscious, but striving
too hard, lent all the more merriment to the moment.

"It's that confounded old idiot, Tom Reade," muttered Dave to
his partner. "I wonder how many more such tricks he knows!"

Presently came "The Army Lancers," and that brought out a right
royal good cheer. Two numbers after that, came "A Life on the
Ocean Wave," and more cheers.

It was after three in the morning when the gay affair broke up.
But who cared for that? Class balls come but once a year.

Right after "Home, Sweet Home," which wound up the ball, the orchestra
added a number, "The Star Spangled Banner."

Both Dick and Dave reached home pretty thoroughly tired out, after
having seen their girl friends home. Neither boy rose much before
noon the day following.

Dick and Dave remained enrolled at High School until the Christmas
Holidays, then dropped out, having ended the term.

Each boy had other studies with which he wished to busy
himself---studies that would have a direct bearing on the stiff
entrance examinations at West Point and Annapolis. The rest of
their time, until they reported at their respective National
Academies, they intended to devote to these other studies to make
doubly sure of their success.

Dick's notification from the Secretary of War arrived on Christmas
morning.

"The grandest Christmas present. I ever had!" muttered Dick,
gazing at the single sheet, the words on which were couched in
stiff official language.

Dave Darrin fumed a good deal, for it was nearly a month later
before he received his notification from the Secretary of the
Navy. It came at last, however, and Darrin knew what postponed
happiness means.

CHAPTER XXII

The Message from the Unknown

With the Christmas holidays Phin Drayne came home, to stay so
far as school was concerned.

After his unhappy experience at the Fordham Military Institute,
Phin had found things almost as unpleasa