FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   >>  
him with smiling, friendly faces. Dick could not send them a formal greeting. But he looked straight into the eyes of each in turn. His smile was steady, clear and full of courage. His look carried in it his appreciation of their loyal friendship. Among the visitors there were also the wives of a few Army officers stationed on the post. Nearly all of these knew Prescott, and were interested in his fate. Among the spectators up there was one heavily veiled woman whom Dick could not see from the floor as he entered the room. Nor did that woman, who had drawn back, intend that he should see her. The president of this court-martial called it promptly to order. The members of the court were sworn, then the judge-advocate took his military oath. It was then announced that the accused cadet wished to have Lieutenant Topham represent him as counsel. To this there was no objection. In a twinkling the judge-advocate was again on his feet, a copy of the charge and specifications in his hand. Facing the president of the court, standing rigidly at attention, his face expressionless, his bearing every whit that of the soldier, Cadet Richard Prescott listened to the reading of the accusation of dishonor. In an impressive tone the president of the court asked what plea the accused cadet wished to enter. "The accused offers, to the charge and specifications, a blanket plea of 'not guilty,'" replied Lieutenant Topham. Captain Abbott was first called and sworn. In concise, soldierly language the instructor told the events of the preceding Friday forenoon. He described the dropping of the slip of paper, and of his request that it be handed to him. "The paper," continued the witness, "contained a crude, brief outline of the demonstration which Mr. Prescott had just explained so satisfactorily that I had marked him 2.9." "Which is within one tenth of the highest marking?" suggested the judge-advocate. "Yes, sir." "Had you noted anything in Mr. Prescott conduct or performance at the blackboard that indicated any uncertainty, at any time, about the problem he was demonstrating?" "When he had gone a little way with the writing down of the demonstration," replied Captain Abbott, "Mr. Prescott hesitated for some moments, then asked permission to erase, which was given." "Did he then go straight ahead with his work?" "To the best of my observation and remembrance, he did, sir." "Had Mr. Prescott bee
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   >>  



Top keywords:

Prescott

 

advocate

 

accused

 
president
 
Topham
 

Lieutenant

 
replied
 

wished

 

Captain

 

Abbott


straight
 

specifications

 

demonstration

 

charge

 

called

 
blanket
 

contained

 

outline

 

offers

 
handed

preceding

 
Friday
 

events

 

instructor

 

soldierly

 

concise

 

forenoon

 
language
 

guilty

 

continued


request

 

dropping

 

witness

 

writing

 

hesitated

 

problem

 

demonstrating

 

moments

 

permission

 

observation


remembrance

 

marked

 

explained

 

satisfactorily

 

highest

 

marking

 
performance
 

blackboard

 

uncertainty

 

conduct