mind a certain uneasiness
about accepting such a favor in addition to the many which had been
bestowed upon him.

"I'm owin' Ninety-four so much, Mr. Davis, that it'll be terrible if I
don't get an appointment after all, an' it wouldn't----"

"You can stop right where you are. This here uniform that Jerry is
fetching ain't charged up against you, nor it never will be. We reckon
on having the right to give a present the day you graduate, and if it'll
make you feel half as good to wear it as it will us to see you in it,
we'll be a mighty jolly crowd to-morrow."

By this time Jerry had returned with the garments over his arm, and Seth
exclaimed as he saw them:

"Why there's a helmet, an' you've had brass buttons put on the coat, Mr.
Davis!"

"Sure; the helmet belongs to the clothes, and on every button you'll see
the letters 'N. Y. F. D.'"

"But only one who was really in the Department could wear them."

"I reckon you can tackle that kind of a job to-morrow, and if it so be
that you get thrown out because of not being up in the drill, it won't
take long to cut them off."

"Oh, if I should fail!" and the tears came into Seth's eyes despite all
his efforts to keep them back.

"You will for a fact, if you get nervous over it. A clear head,
forgetfulness of everything but the drill, and Ninety-four's kid will
have an appointment, or the promise of one, before this time to-morrow
night."

Then 'Lish Davis proposed to walk to headquarters with the boy in order
to make certain he went directly to bed; the new uniform was wrapped
carefully in paper, for it was not proposed that Seth should put it on
until the following morning, and then every member of the company shook
hands with "their kid," each giving him some bit of good advice.

During the walk the old driver cautioned Seth again and again not to
speculate upon possible failure; but to believe he would surely succeed,
and when the two parted, 'Lish Davis said feelingly:

"You're a good boy, Seth, and while every one of Ninety-four's crew is
your friend, you're dearer to me than the whole boiling of them. I'm
proud of what you have done, and will do to-morrow. God love you, my
lad."

Then the driver turned away abruptly, as if there was some particular
reason why he wished to hide his face, and as Seth wiped the moisture
from his eyes lest perchance a tear should fall on the new uniform, he
whispered to himself:

"God _must_ love me, even if I am sich a t