The Press., 1904-02-11
RufuS'
e6O ell
Hop. s e
DOUGLAS
Copyright. 1905. bv I. C. Mcclure

tenant James woodward sims, U. .. NJ
was in love.
That it was an attack of cadet love
his classmates emphatically denied. AT
Annapolis the accepted proverb is "ca-
Diet love is akin to calf love- and they
could not detect symptoms of the latter
malady in Rufus.
The fact that he was in love was
evinced when Reardon. his roommate,
came suddenly. upon the young man In
a reverie of which the inside boards OF
his locker door seemed to be the object.
Reardon coughed and otherwise made
his presence known. If Rufus had been
caught in the act of scaling the wall ne
could not have exhibited a more guilty
expression. For the first time in then
acquaintance Reardon saw the big lieu
tenant blush like schoolgirl. His colol
rivaled the auburn of his hair. from
which he derived his sobriquet.
A photograph of girl hung on the
inner side of the locker door. The usual
array of athletes, family portraits or
footlight favorites was absent. This
picture alone adorned the space.
Reardon looked at the picture for
minute. Studying girlology. Rufus?"
he asked to break the awkward sil"nce.
Looks like it, doesn't it?' Rufus
embarrassment was evident.
1T needs study, old man. fellow
must study it carefully. and even then
he often 'fiunks' when the test comes"
This species needs ii" admitted Ru-
fus. looking up at the face in the pho
tograph.
YES" said Reardon in slightly in
terrogative tone. He did not want to
seem curious.
"She-it's Bess. you know-writes m"
that she will be unable to come to the
farewell hop. She has previous en-
gagement. she says"
Perhaps she has" ReardOn suggest
ed by way of consolation. although the
idea seemed ludicrous to him. A previ-
Gus engagement when the Annapolis
farewell hop was in question.
''Well, but she couldn't. man-that is.
we have talked of it the whole year
and when l was at home on the last
leave we-well. Reardon. we sort of
fixed things up. you know" confessed
Rufus. the deep red lodging through
his skin again. And she said she
would be down for the hop and to our
graduation. l suppose it's her wom-
ans prerogative to change her mind.
butt Rufus besitated.
81 understand, old man. It's bit
rough on a fellow. She may explain
later" Reardon felt awkward in the
rNGe, fl,su rah for
eign element in his relation with Ru-
fus.
There's one little thread of POSSIBLE
ity in some nonsense which has passed
between US that might explain matters
to me; but. oh, it is such an absurd,
such an utterly impossible, reason. that
1 would not suggest il to her"
Rufus was silent. Should he put in
to words the foolish little matter which
had been weighing upon his mind?
Reardon looked at him expectantly.
You know, Reardon, how we fell
lows always joke and laugh about the
necessity of naval officers marrying
money. You realize that on every oc-
casion we give vent to the time worn
declaration that we must have a girl
with capital. 1, like the rest of you,
have done it. and-well. Bess was quail
flied in that direction. though it never
occurred to me at the time.
Recently her father met with re-
verses-not serious, you understand
but. oh, hang it, don't you see? She
might have taken all that nonsense Sc
riously," finished Rufus. He did not
look up at Reardon.
And Reardon did just the wrong
thing at that moment. He laughed. 1t
all seemed so far out of the limits of
possibility.
Forgive me. Rufus" he said, put
ting out his hand. but I could not help
it. Cheer up. And, l say. Rufus, don't
you think perhaps overstudy has affect
ed your head?" he said. significantly in
dicating his head.
Rufus smiled in spite of himself and
grasped his roommate's hand.
Perhaps" he said, closing the locker
door and taking up his cap. "Going TO
Mrs. Butlers?'
The latter question was quite unnec-
essary, for Mrs. Butler was the wife of
Lieutenant Commander Butler of the
Naval academy, and her teas were gen.
orally considered the last torments of
the first class man, not that they were
unpleasant, but they were a duty, a
part of their education for the life of
naval officer
Personally Rufus considered them
less of duty than a pleasure, for he
had spent several pleasant hours with
the gracious hostess.
AS they pulled the old fashioned
knocker of the house In Blake row Ru-
fus pulled himself together as If to cast
all sentimental thoughts from his mind
If Bess had previous engagement"
she might keep it.
''Mr Sims, how do you do? And Mr.
Reardon?'' said Mrs. Butler from be-
hind the tea table. Perhaps was just
looking for you"
"We will give ourselves the benefit
OF the doubt. Ell. RufusY' Reardon said,
glancing about the room. Here and
there were little groups of cadets.
Every we'll. Which of you is at liber-
" for the farewell hopY' Mrs Butler
laughed with the consciousness of hav-
ing asked a preposterous question.
Both cadets caught the infectious
laugh. but neither spoke for "a minute
Reardon because he uIu>i sly he wa.
engaged and Rufus because he could
not quite make up his mind to offer his
services for the evening
Strange as it may seem. Mrs But
Ter, am not escorting any one and am
at your service" Rufus said after a
minute. You have a guest?''
81 will have. She writes me today
that she is coming. She is not aware
Of the fact that the hop is that night,
believe, and l was at loss for some
one to attend to her dance order Mr..
Sims. let me give you another cup of
tea to thank you.''
Rcardon, looking on. thought he de-
tected twinkle i'm his hostess eyes.
She was unusually frivolous. he
Thought. bui then IL uoS tho opd Of