sounded at their door.

The very unusualness of this caused both youngsters to look
around, then at each other.

Had it been any cadet officer making an inspection--as was likely
to happen at any minute of the waking day--he would have come
straight into the room. And any other cadet, after knocking, would
have followed this by opening the door and stepping inside.

Rap-rap! sounded again.

"Oh, come in," called Dick.

The door opened. Bert Dodge, dressed in the height of the
prevailing fashion, looked inside.

"May I come in?" he called, in what was meant for a cordial,
friend-from-home voice.

"Oh, yes, come in," sighed Dick wearily.

"That's not quite the welcome I might have expected from you
two," muttered Bert, as he opened the door and stepped into the
room. "Fellows, you're at West Point now," proceeded Bert Dodge
pompously, "and this is a place where social points count
tremendously, as I guess you've found out by this time. Now, you
two may be all right, and I guess you are," admitted Bert
condescendingly, "but you're just the sons of commoners, while my
father is a wealthy man, a banker and a leader in society. So I