"Daughter of one of the instructors in drawing?"

"Yes."

"Greg, you're at least practical this time," laughed Dick. "That
is, you will be if Miss Steele doesn't follow the example of her
predecessors, and break the engagement too soon."

"Practical?" repeated Cadet Holmes. "What are you talking about,
old ramrod? Has the heat been too much for you to-day? Practical!
Now, what on earth is there that's practical about a love affair?"

"Why, if this engagement lasts long enough, Greg, old fellow,
Captain Steele and his wife will simply have to send you an invitation
to a Saturday evening dinner at their quarters. And then, in
ordinary good nature, they'll have to invite me, also, as your
roommate. Greg, do you stop to realize that we've never yet been
invited to an officer's house to dinner?"

"And we never would be, if we depended on you," grumbled Greg.
"Women are the foundation rock of society, yet you never look
at anyone in a petticoat except Laura Bentley, who comes here
only once a year, and who may be so tired of coming here that
she'll never appear again."

A brief cloud flitted across Dick's face. Seeing it, repentant
Greg rattled on:

"Of course you know me well enough, old ramrod, to know that I'm