ees of the Sioux--Pappoose as the girls had named her at
school--"Nell," as Jessie called her--sweetest name of all despite the
ring of sadness that ever hangs about it--and Daddy had actually smiled
and approved her going to the midweek hop on a cadet captain's broad
chevroned arm, and she had worn her prettiest white gown, and the girls
had brought her roses, and Mr. Dean had called for her before all the
big girls, and she had gone off with him, radiant, and he had actually
made out her card for her, and taken three dances himself, and had
presented such pleasant fellows--first classmen and "yearlings." There
was Mr. Billings, the cadet adjutant, and Mr. Ray, who was a cadet
sergeant "out on furlough" and kept back, but such a beautiful dancer,
and there was the first captain, such a witty, brilliant fellow, who
only danced square dances, and several cadet corporals, all hop
managers, in their red sashes. Why, she was just the proudest girl in
the room! And when the drum beat and the hop broke up she couldn't
believe she'd been there an hour and three-quarters, and then Mr. Dean
escorted her back to the hotel, and Daddy had smiled and looked on and
told him he must come into the cavalry when he graduated next June, and
he'd show him the Sioux country and Pappoose would teach him the Indian
dances. It was all simply lovely. Of course she knew it was all due to
Jessie that her splendid big brother should give up a whole evening from
his lady friends. (Miss Brockway spoke so patronizingly to her in the
hall when the girls were all talking together after the cadets had
scurried away to answer tattoo roll-call.) Of course she understood that
if it hadn't been for Jessie none of the cadets would have taken the
slightest notice of her, a mere chit, with three years of school still
ahead of her. But all the same it was something to live over and over
again, and dream of over and over again, and the seashore seemed very
stupid after the Point. Next year--next June--when Marshall graduated
Jessie was to go and see that wonderful spot, and go she did with
Pappoose, too, and though it was all as beautiful as Pappoose had
described, and the scene and the music and the parades and all were
splendid, there was no deliriously lovely hop, for in those days there
could be no dancing in the midst of examinations. There was only the one
great ball given by the second to the graduating class, and Marshall had
so many, many other and older