an. When you were in the third class did you have
all the studies that we have now?"

"Every one of them, sir," affirmed Midshipman Freeman gravely, though
there was a twinkle in his eyes.

"And did you come through the course easily?" asked Page.

"Not easily," admitted the first classman. "There isn't anything at
Annapolis that is easy, except the dancing. In fact, during the first
two months very few of our class came along like anything at all. After
that, we began to do better. By the time that semi-ans came around
nearly all of us managed to pull through. But what seems to be the worst
grind of all--the real blue paint?"

"Calculus!" cried the four youngsters in unison.

"Why, once you begin to see daylight in calculus it's just as easy as
taking a nap," declared the first classman.

"At present it seems more like suffering from delirium," sighed Dave.

"What's the hard one for to-morrow?" asked Freeman.

"Here it is, right here," continued Dave, opening his text-book. "Here's
the very proposition."

The others crowded about, nodding.

"I remember that one," laughed Freeman lightly. "Our class named it
'sticky fly paper.'"

"It was rightly named," grumbled Farley.

"None of you four youngsters see through it?" demanded Midshipman
Freeman.

"Do you mean to claim, sir, that you ever did?" insisted Dan Dalzell.

"Not only once, but now," grinned Mr. Freeman. "You haven't been looking
at this torturing proposition from the right angle--that's all. Now,
listen, while I read it."

"Oh, we all know how it runs, Mr. Freeman," protested Page.

"Nevertheless, listen, while I read it."

As the first classman read through the proposition that was torturing
them he threw an emphasis upon certain words that opened their eyes
better as to the meaning.

"Now, it works out this way," continued the first classman, bending over
the disk and drawing paper and pencil toward him. "In the first place."

Freeman seemed to these youngsters like a born demonstrator. Within five
minutes he had made the "sticky fly paper" problem so plain to them all
that they glanced from one to another in astonishment.

"Why, it does seem easy," confessed Farley.

"It sounds foolish, now," grinned Darrin. "I'm beginning to feel ashamed
of myself."

"Mr. Freeman," protested Page, "you've saved us from suicide, or some
other gruesome fate."

"Then I'll drop in once in a while again," promised the first classman.

"But that will