The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-11-01

~ HlAb NIt Flf=t RI1SS We're done
with their examinations they were
sent nome: and so for a while the See
ohd class We're In sole possession Cf
the school. waiting until they should
be transformed into the First Class
oy the ARRIVAL Of new cadets. or
course. while the Select and the
t1rst Class men We're making their
preparations for departure a certain
amount of confusion reigned in the
barracks: for they were examined and
in sections and went away
as they were graduated. so for a Whila
Things We're rather topsy turvy. There
was a First Glass m.r. a popular fell
low who had bought himself a new
sword belt Of which he was very
proud. He proposed to wear il when
he went away instead Of the ordinary
service belt and showed it to cyery-
BODY with an -agsraVating satisfaction.
But alas. poor First Glass man. When
ne went TO put on his uniform to 20
away, ms priced sword belt was miss
ing! Nor did the strictest search dis
cover It's Whereabouts.
The first class man had not shut UP
his belt in his closet among his other
belongings, but had left it hanging be-
side his helmet in his bedroom. where
his delighted Eyes could gaze upon il
often But now it had disappeared
totally. OF course, some one had
stolen it-sword belts do not walk
AWAY themselves. But the question
was, Who? The cadets living in the
same room threw open their kits and
demanded that the owner Of the lost
sword belt search their belongings.
But he replied: Nonsense! would
not think of such a thing. Just for
get 1T fellows-but l must wear that
ugly old regulation belt home after all"
As the First Class man in question
was slowly going down stairs with his
valise in his hand a strange thing hap
( nnY ad Jff1 F. r,1l III - 49, ] -
him, bearing in his hands the missing
belt. Little LIS face was as pale as 4
ghost, and he was trembling violently.
He whispered something in the ear Of
the owner Of the belt. who patted
him on the head, took off the regula-
ton belt and replaced it with his own.
Many cadets saw MS transaction,
and such a secret as the cause of it
could not be kept long. \ new ar
rangement of rooms was being made
Big L. had been ordered into another
room. He had rejected gruf1y all of
fers to help move his things and had
been more than usually reserved and
quiet While the moving was going on.
The offer Of Little L. to help his broth
er had been rejected. like all other
offers, but the little fellow determined
to be of assistance to his brother. and
began to shift some of the belongings
in Big LIS presence. He had taken
down from its peg Big LIS gymnasium
Jacket of ticking and had felt some
thing hard inside of it. He took out
the hard object, and 10! il was the
missing sword belt,
What the brothers said to each other
in regard to the matter was never
known; but the story was soon all over
the school. In half an our a message
was carried secretly from room TO
DON summoning the cadets of the
company to which Big L. belonged 20
meet after taps in the company room.
a large room which every ward had
and in which transactions of import
ance were conducted. 0 long after
the lights were out and taps had
sounded, when all Of the school lay in
sleep, dim forms emerged from the
various rooms of the ward and hur-
ried noiselessly to the company room.
Every care was taken that the 9TH
GERS and professors should not get
wind of what vas going on. The can
dies were lighted in the company room
after the windows had been darkenedr
and. as the cadets stealthily entered,
they saw Little L. standing leaning
against the d~oOr-pOst.
His face was white as chalk and he
was evidently suffering from suppress
ed and intense excitement. Two cadets
took him bv the hand and one said:
Little l.. can come in. too; he Is not
to lame" Only one cadet objected.
But his objection was speedily over
ruled and Little i. went IN with the
rest. To Older people the scene might
have appeared ridiculous, bat to the
cadets it was a solemn occasion-they
were terribly in earnest. That one of
their number should prove TO be ,
thief was to them something hardly
credible; it brought upon the whole
corps a disgrace which each felt deep
ly. as if it were a disgrace brought up
on himself. They looked aWed ana
spoke only in whispers. Ordinarily
the d~enOuncing Of q cOmrade to the
officers was regarded as 2 most con-
tenn tible proceeding. But his charge
against Big L. took the perpetrator
out of their comradeship-he was TO
them no longer 2 cadet but an out
cast.
And now they were to decide
whether or not the captain should be
informed Of what he had don The
tall cadet, K, was the first to speak.
He declared it to be his opinion that
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