tuation even clearer to the reader to explain that
Dave was back in the home town, on his September leave, after just having
completed his second summer practice cruise with the three upper classes
from Annapolis.

Dave was now a fine looking and "husky" second classman. He was just a
shade more than half way through his course of instruction at Annapolis.

Being back in the home town, where would Midshipman Darrin be more
naturally found than in the parlor at the home of his sweetheart, Miss
Belle Meade?

The first greetings had been exchanged fifteen minutes before.

Since that time the young people, being sweethearts as they were, had
naturally talked about themselves.

And Dave, who, in the Naval service, was fast learning to become a good
listener, had been content to have Belle do most of the talking, while he
sat back watching the motions of her pretty lips and catching glimpses of
two rows of pearly teeth.

But now Belle had just mentioned two of Dave's former High School chums.

"So Tom and Harry were really here?" he repeated.

"Yes; they came up from Arizona on leave."

"I wonder why they couldn't have remained here longer?" mused Dave.

"They both told me that they were very young in their profession as civil
engineers, and that they had to spend nearly all of their time 'on the
job,' as Tom phrased it," replied Belle.

"How did they look?" asked Dave.

"A shade older, of course, than when they were in the High School."

"Are they much taller?" asked Darrin.

"Somewhat; but they have not shot up in height, the way you and Dan, and
Dick Prescott and Greg Holmes have done," Belle continued.

"Brown as berries, I suppose, after working down in the alkali
deserts?" asked Dave, who felt that he could not hear enough of those
dear old chums.

"Meaning Tom and Harry?" smiled Belle. "Or Dick and Greg?"

"Tom and Harry, that time, of course," laughed Dave. "But I'm waiting to
hear a whole lot about Dick and Greg as well."

"No; I wouldn't call Tom and Harry exactly as brown as berries,"
went on Belle, laughing, "for I am not acquainted with many kinds of
brown berries."

"Coffee berries?" hinted Darrin.

"I would call Tom and Harry fully as bronzed as Indians," Belle ventured.

"Have you ever seen any Indians?" asked Midshipman Darrin, looking at his
sweetheart rather quizzically.

"Oh, haven't I?" laughed Belle Meade, her eyes sparkling. "We had Indians
here the early part of this summer.