a luxury.

"Good morning, gentlemen," was Dave's pleasant greeting. "You
are candidates, like ourselves, I take it?"

This fact being acknowledged, Dave introduced himself and his
friend, and soon some pleasant new acquaintances were being formed,
for Darrin had a way that always made him popular with strangers.

"Have you two got to go up before the June exams. here?" asked
one of the young men, who had introduced himself as Grigsby.

"Part of it," grinned Dan. "We've already gone through the primer
tests and the catechism, and that sort of thing; but we still
have to go before the barber and the toilet specialists and see
whether our personal appearance suits."

"You're lucky, then," replied Grigsby. "Our crowd all have to
take the academic exams."

"Cheer up," begged Dan. "Any baby can go past the academic exams.
Arithmetic is the hardest part. One funny chap on the Civil
Service Commission nearly got me by asking me how much two and
two are, but Darrin saved me, just in the nick of time, by holding
up five fingers; so I knew the answer right off."

Some of the candidates were already surveying Dan with a good
deal of amusement. They had heard much of the severe way upper
classmen at the Naval Academy have of taking all the freshness
out of a new man, and, like Dave, these other candidates scented
plenty of trouble ahead for cheerful, grinning Dan Dalzell.

"Gentlemen," broke in Dave quietly, "do you see the time on the
clock over on the academic building? It's nine-fourteen. What
do you say if we step promptly over to the administration building
and plunge into what's ahead of us?"

"Good enough," nodded one of the new acquaintances. "Suppose
you lead the way?"

So, with Dan by his side, Dave piloted the others over to the
administration building, just beyond the chapel.

As they stepped inside, and found themselves in a hallway, a marine
orderly confronted them.

"Candidates, gentlemen? Walk right upstairs. An orderly there will
direct you to the office of the superintendent's aide."

"Thank you," replied Dave, with a bow, and led the way upstairs.

Near the head of the stairs another marine, in spick-and-span
uniform, wearing white gloves and with a bayonet at his belt,
called out quietly:

"Candidates? First two, step this way please."

He swung open a door. Dave and Dan stepped into an office where
they found a young-looking though slightly bald gentleman in uniform,
seated be