First thing he knows, a cadet, being a natural gallant, anyway, goes so far in being spoons with some girl that he has to act like a gentleman, then, and declare intentions.
A fellow can't show a nice girl a whole lot of spoony attentions, and then back off, letting the girl discover that he has been only fooling all summer.

You've heard, Greg, of plenty of cadets who have engaged themselves while here at the Academy." "Yes," nodded Greg.

"There's no regulation against a cadet becoming engaged to a girl.

The regulation only forbids him to marry while he's a cadet." "Now, a fellow like one of us either goes so far, in his lonesomeness, that he's grateful to a bright girl for cheering him and imagines he's in love with her; or else he finds that the girl thought he was in love with her, and she expects him to propose.

Greg, I don't want to make any mistakes that way.