sins."

"Suppose we let the whole matter drop, Ruth, and forget Brassy Bangs and
his crowd."

"I'm sure I'm willing to do that, Jack." And then the girl added quickly:
"You've had some terrible doings over at the Hall, so I have been told."

"You mean the robbery, I suppose?"

"Yes. Have they discovered anything?"

"Not a thing. It certainly is a mystery."

When the gathering of boys and girls broke up nearly every one was in the
best of humor, the only exceptions being Brassy Bangs and Paul Halliday.
These two unworthies had done their best to get on friendly terms with
some of the girls, but had been snubbed in such a manner that it made
them much crestfallen.

"I'll be glad when we start back," grumbled Brassy to his crony.

"Come on, let's take a walk outside," answered Halliday, and thereupon
the pair left the school grounds.

"What about baseball this spring, Jack?" questioned his sister just
before the cadets were ready to start.

"I'll be out of that this year. There is a new ruling that officers must
step aside and let the other cadets have a chance on the baseball nine
and the football eleven, as well as have a chance in the rowing and other
contests. Colonel Colby has an idea that not enough cadets have filled
these various places in the past. He wants to give every fellow a chance
if possible."

"Well, you can't blame him for that."

"Not at all, Martha. I'm quite content to step aside so far as baseball
is concerned, and so is Fred. We want to do our best as officers and also
do our best with our studies. You know the folks at home are expecting us
to make real records in the classrooms."

"I know that only too well, Jack. Mary and I are working day and night on
our lessons here. We're going to do our best to come out either at the
head of our classes or very near to it."

"How is Ruth making out?"

"She's doing very well. Of course, she had a hard struggle to catch up on
account of the time lost because of her eyesight."

Following the parade to Clearwater Hall the cadets settled down to the
usual routine of drills and studies. But soon there came a call for
aspirants to the baseball team, and then talk of the coming matches with
Columbus Academy, Hixley High, and Longley Academy filled the air.

"Gee! it makes my hands tingle to think about baseball," sighed Fred,
when talking the matter over with Jack.

"I feel the same way," answered the young major. "But remember, Fred, we
can't