CHAPTER IX.
BACK TO THE GOOD, GRAY LIFE A Glorious summer it was for the two second classman on furlough! Yet, like all other things, good and otherwise, it had to come to an end.
One morning near the end of August, Dick and Greg, attended by a numerous concourse of friends, went to the railway station.
The proud parents were there, of course, and so were the parents of Dave Darrin and Dan Dalzell, the latter happy in the knowledge that their boys would soon be home for the brief September leave from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis.
"Why, you haven't seen Dave since you youngsters all left home, have you, Dick ?" asked Mr.Darrin.
"No, sir.

Greg and I hoped to, this last summer, when the Army baseball nine went down to Annapolis and defeated the Navy nine," Dick replied.

"But both Greg and I found ourselves so hard pressed in our academic work that we didn't dare go, but remained behind and boned hard at our studies." "You don't forget the fact that the Army nine did defeat the Navy nine, do you ?" laughed Dan's father.
"No, sir; of course not," smiled Dick.

"The Army and Navy teams exist mainly for the purpose of beating each other.

I am glad to say that the Army manages to win more than its share of games." "That's because the West Point boys average a little older than the Annapolis boys," broke in Mrs.Dalzell pleasantly, though warmly.