awoke the next morning. The sun was shining
brightly and she lay idly watching the dancing of the sunbeams upon the
wall scarcely realizing where she was. Presently it all came back to her,
and a convulsive shudder shook her frame as she seemed to hear again the
whistle of shot and shell, the cries of the wounded and the shrieks of
the unhappy crew of the gunboat as it blew to atoms.

"How can the sun shine after all that has happened?" asked the girl with
that wonder that comes to all of us when, after some great calamity,
nature presents the same undisturbed aspect. "Oh, how can I ever laugh
again!"

"Is you 'wake, honey?" queried old Tenny peering in at the door. "Massa
Cap'n say when it's 'venient fer yer he laik ter hab yer kum ter see
'Miral Farragut."

"What! have we reached Commodore Farragut? He said 'Commodore' didn't he,
Tenny?" inquired Jeanne, who did not know that Farragut had been recently
made a rear admiral.

"No, honey; he said 'Miral, I'se suah," returned the negress.

Jeanne dressed quickly and then hastened to Captain Leathers.

"How are you this morning, Jeanne?" was the Captain's salutation. "Pretty
thankful to be on earth, aren't you? Admiral," turning to a slight, modest
looking middle aged man with gray hair, "this is the girl I was telling
you about. She stood fire last night like a veteran."

"You have shown yourself to be a true heroine," said Admiral Farragut
taking her hand. "It is not often that we meet such courage in one so
young."

"I never heard that you were deficient in this quality," said the Captain.
"Seems to me that I've heard of a number of your exploits when you were a
lad."

"I was a boy, Captain. One expects such things from a lad but a tender,
delicate little girl,"--and he smiled such a winning smile at Jeanne that
she involuntarily drew closer to him,--"that is decidedly different. Boys
take to such things naturally unless they are molly coddles. Were you not
afraid, little girl?"

"Not until it was over," answered Jeanne shyly. "But it was a dreadful
time. I can't help thinking of those poor men on the gunboat----" Her
voice faltered and her eyes filled with tears.

"Yes, child." The Admiral pressed her hand warmly. "That is the worst part
of it. To lose such gallant fellows is one of the hard things of war. And
yet--there is no nobler death than to fall in defense of one's country.
But the Captain tells me that you have a message for me."

"Yes, sir. I h