at
amounted to a statement of your unwillingness to accept the word of
members of the brigade?"

"I should be sorry to have that construction placed on my remark, Mr.
President, for I know that nearly all the men of the brigade are men with
a fine sense of honor."

"Then how do you reconcile this statement with your other one?"

"Mr. President, I meant, and I still mean, that I am so certain of the
truth of the charge that I made to one Darrin, that, if members of the
brigade spoke differently, I would then know that they were not telling
the truth."

A storm of protests went up, while one hoarse voice bellowed:

"Throw him out!"

And another called:

"Coventry!"

"Order!" commanded the class president, rapping hard with his gavel.
"Mr. Jetson, it is a most serious matter to impugn the good faith and
honor of the brigade. It is hardly mitigated by the fact that the words
were uttered in the heat of passion, especially when, in your cooler
moment, you are not inclined to retract your statement or to render it
harmless. I believe, therefore, that I am in accord with the sense of
this meeting of the class when I ask you if you have any retraction or
apology to offer."

"For the statement, in the form in which I offered it, Mr. President, I
have no retraction or apology to offer, and only such explanation as I
have lately given."

"Coventry! Coventry!" came the insistent call.

"Well, then, you can send me to Coventry, you friends of Darrin, if you
feel yourselves justified in doing it!" quivered Midshipman Jetson,
tossing his head and glaring defiantly around the room.

"Mr. President!"

"Mr. Wentworth."

"In view of the charge, and the subsequent statements of Mr. Jetson, I
feel that we have an unpleasant duty to perform. The brigade is founded
and based on honor. We, the members, cannot allow that honor to be
impugned by one who would otherwise be fitted to be a member of the
brigade. As Mr. Jetson refuses to retract his words, and as some one must
take the initiative, it is my disagreeable duty to move you, sir, that
the second class decide that Mr. Jetson is no longer worthy to be of our
number, and that he accordingly be sent to Coventry."

"Mr. President!"

"Mr. Page."

"Mr. President, I desire to second the motion, and this I do as
regretfully as it was moved."

"Oh, go ahead and send me to Coventry, then!" Jetson blazed forth
angrily. "This class appears to have been hypnotized by Darrin.