The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-11-20


ccngregated about the steps of the
school building in Seaport, N. ]. Neal
was there. Some of the thirty he
knew and some he didn't
Neal started suddenly. A hand was
laid upon his shoulder. He turned.
Joey Welcher, his foster brother,
faced him. Joey smiled.
Neal" he said, 81 think I'll take a
hack at this Annapolis exam myself"
For moment Neal was taken back
Then he recovered. Cory" he re-
turned, I'm glad of that When did
you decide?"
Before you did," replied Welcher,
tive had this up my sleeve for year
jor SO. I've been boning on the quiet
boning hard"
1t was quite true that he had been
boning hard-and also on the quiet.
He had been studying the examination
paper dropped accidentally by the con-
gresham in the local post Office, and
he had mastered every answer by
heart "You bet your life I'm going
in," he said.
Ten minutes later Neal and Welcher
were seated side by side at desks in
the old-fashioned little schoolroom.
The examination questions had been
written on the ample blackboards that
completely circled the room. The ex-
,aminer had copied them from his
printed list of questions.
There was a knock on the door and
the congressman came In. The exam
liner left his desk and met the con-
gresham half way He whispered to
him.
How goes it?" asked the congress
man.
I've only had the chance to look
over young Hardin's papers as they
came in-he's been the first to finish.
They look good to me. They're we'll
nigh perfect. There he is now. He's
all through"
MAY the best man win," said the
congressman, che looks the part at
any rate" He glanced about the
room; he seemed to be trying to re-
member; then he remembered. "Say,
look here" he said, "Beecher's letter
says he mailed me duplicate of those
questions and r -swers; and I'll swear
saw a dupli1 te when / read his
note-dfd hand you two or one?"
"One," returned the examiner He
stepped back to his desk. Neal handed
in his final paper The examiner
thrust in front of Neal a slip of paper
and a pen. "Sign this, please" he
said. This is what 1t said-and Neal
signed it as requested:
do solemnIy declare on my honor
as gentleman that ! have neither OBJ
tanned nor given aid Of any kind dur
inc the course of this examination.
Neal Hardin, Candidate.
He had no sooner finished signing
than Joe Welcher approached the
desk
Through, Joey?" queried Neal, I'll
wait for you"
Welcher signed his own honor slip
Neal waited-and while he waited, he
thrust his hand into his coat pocket.
There was something unfamiliar
there. Involuntarily he drew it out
it was crumpled printed paper. The
examiners eagle eye was upon 1t in |
an instant.
Haven't been cribbing, boy?" he
exclaimed.
mo" stammered Neal, "I-I don't |
know what it Is" The examiner knew |
It however, for the thing it was. He !
grabbed Meals hand and snatched the |
paper from him.
"Oh!" he said, "the missing dupli-
cate-questions and answers both. No
wonder Hardin's papers were we'll
nigh perfect"
He turned to the congressman-who
nodded understandingly.
II don't know how it got there"
Neal, II didn't put it there
II never saw the thing before. On
ny honor
"Pah," cried the congressman, his
syes flashing. look at it-thumbed
md soiled-he'4 had 1t for week
les learned the thing by heart" j
Angrily he tore up the honor slip
ore up Meals answers-and flung
hem to the door. He pointed to the
loor-
Go" he exclaimed, "the navy's vol |
ia Of sneaks like you"
Once outside his pace slackened. He
lidn't want to 90 home. And yet he
must 60 home he'd have to tell them
II about it-tell his mother An
Iette-how much would they believe?