He was Midshipman Totten, of fourth class.

"Why did you strike him, Mr. Totten?" demanded the officer in charge.

" Totten thereupon explained that the young woman in question was his cousin.

Totten, who was an orphan, had been brought up by an aunt who had but one child of her own, the young woman in question.

When Totten had won an appointment to the Naval Academy, the aunt and cousin had decided to move to Annapolis sooner than have their little family broken up.

"How did you come to be outside the Academy grounds last evening, Mr. Totten?

" "I took the chances and Frenched it, sir," confessed Totten candidly.

" "Then you considered the avenging of the insult to your cousin as being a matter of greater importance than your future career in the Navy?" Midshipman Totten paled, but he answered bravely: "Yes, sir; and at the same time a Naval career means nearly everything in the world to me.

"I shall have to pass this matter on to the commandant of midshipmen," decided the O.C. "Mr. Totten, you will go to your quarters and remain there, until further orders, save only for meal formations.

"That is all, Mr. Totten.

The commandant of midshipmen sent for Mr. Totten.

The superintendent did not send for Totten and question him, but sent, instead, for the civilians who had lodged the complaint the evening before.

He sent also for young Crane the man Totten had named, and who had not been among the complainants of the evening before.

"Then, as we know that Midshipman Totten was your assailant," continued the superintendent, "we shall have to place that young man on trial.

"Not unless you confess yourself in the wrong, and exonerate Mr. Totten.

"Mr. Totten," continued the superintendent, "states that you grossly insulted his cousin, a young woman, and that he met you on purpose to avenge that insult.

"All that concerns me in the matter is whether you exonerate Mr. Totten, or whether you do not.

" "I exonerate Mr. Totten," replied Crane in a very low tone.

" "Then Mr. Totten's offense will be reduced to one or two-simple breaches of discipline," went on the superintendent.

Darrin, Dalzell and Joyce were again rebuked for having taken such elaborate pains to escape recognizing Totten at the time of the encounter.

In Frenching and in taking justice into his own hands Midshipman Totten was held to have erred.

General Jos. G. TOTTEN.

By William Chambers Coker & Henry Roland Totten.

Henry R. Totten (A); 16Jan74; R568230. R568232.

I stood by the side of Captain Totten's battery as it opened the conflict.