this mean? Some one must have taken a good deal of
trouble to secure this photograph. The picture was taken for a pictorial
weekly. One can get a photograph from which the cut is made, but it is
troublesome and possibly expensive!"

"You have an enemy, then; some one bent on hurting you?"

"I don't know who it could be. My, how angry Miss Stevens would be if
she knew of this!"

"Miss Stevens? Is that the girl?"

"Yes. She's visited here often this year. She knows a number of the
officers' wives. She's vivacious and always has a good time, but she's
nothing to me, Belle. You know that, don't you?"

"I have never doubted you, Dave. Let us tear this up. I thought at first
I'd not show it to you; then decided it was best not to begin concealing
things from you. But let us not think of the thing again."

"Belle, you're a thoroughbred!" and here the matter dropped as far as it
was between Dave Darrin and Belle Meade.

Miss Stevens was at the dance that evening. Though she tried hard to
make that impossible, Dave did not dance with her, nor did he introduce
her to Belle, though there again Marian tried to force this.

It would have been well for Marian if Dan Dalzell had been equally
circumspect.

This time it was Belle who contrived and got the introduction to the
other girl, but Marian was by no means reluctant, so it was that they
managed to get a few moments alone together when they had sent their
dance partners to get something for them.

"You are a friend of Dave's, aren't you?" asked Marian.

"Of Mr. Darrin's? Oh, yes, we've always known each other."

"Then you've been here to many of these dances?"

"Only two."

"Too bad you could not have been here oftener. This has been an
unusually brilliant season. Really, many of the young people have lost
their heads--or their hearts. I often wonder if these midshipmen have
sweethearts at home." This daring--and impertinent--remark was made
musingly but smilingly.

"These Annapolis affairs are never very serious, I imagine," Belle
observed calmly.

"On the contrary, most of the Navy marriages date back to an Annapolis
first meeting."

"Then you think it well to come often?"

"Unless one has other ways of keeping in touch," was the brazen reply.

"I have," said Belle sweetly. "I receive a good many souvenirs in the
course of a year. One last winter was a photograph." With the words
Belle gazed intently into Miss Stevens' eyes. Then she went on: "There
was