Читать книгу Ralph Osborn, Midshipman at Annapolis. A Story of Life at the U.S. Naval Academy онлайн

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Ralph was overjoyed. This was the first upper classman who had expressed an interest in him. For those who had spoken to him he had stood on his head and had performed various other antics as ordered. And besides, with this additional stowage room, he would be quite comfortable. “Oh, thank you ever so much,” he said effusively, “and don’t think of my eight demerits; I’d have traded them and more, too, for this nice shelf.”

Baldwin smiled. Then turning to Bollup, who was seated close by, he asked: “Have you come across any hard problems this morning?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Bollup, “a very hard one, but I didn’t find it in my book here. Somebody last night annexed a twenty-dollar bill I had in my locker and the problem is to discover how I’m going to have a good time in New London without any money, sir. I won’t be able to buy myself even so much as a bag of peanuts,” and Bollup grunted disgustedly.

“Go to the executive officer right away and report the circumstances to him,” directed Baldwin. Bollup did so, but nothing came of the investigation. All that was proved was that several servants had been near Bollup’s locker during meal-times, but no incriminating evidence was developed against any of them. That the thief might have been other than a servant was a matter not considered.