CHAPTER III

THE TROUBLE-MAKING FOP


The story that Len Spencer wrote for the "Blade" was "worse" than the
midshipmen had expected. That is, the newspaper made them out to be
heroes of some rare, solid-gold type. To add to the trouble, the
story, in a condensed form, was printed broadcast by the dailies all
over the country.

"We can't hope to keep it quiet, Danny boy," groaned Dave when the two
chums met the next morning.

"No," sighed Dan. "The most we can hope for is to be allowed to
live it down."

"And I'm much afraid that we've got to stand for a lot more of gush this
afternoon," continued Darrin.

"At the reception? Oh, yes! I wish we could desert the town and get away
somewhere to hide."

The affair for the afternoon was a reception for which Laura Bentley had
sent out hurried invitations to a lot of the former High School boys and
girls of Gridley. Though Laura was more especially interested in the U.
S. Military Academy at West Point--because Dick Prescott was there--yet