at the poor fellow could not face the
farewell, when, at the turn of the road, there on the bank stood Polly
Hopley, with a parcel in one hand and a bunch of flowers in the other,
and beside her, Bob Hopley in his brown velveteens, his gun under his
left arm and his hat in his hand.

As we trotted by, the parcel and bouquet fell into the carriage, and I
waved my hand back to them till we were out of sight, when I found that
my mother was holding the flowers, which had her name on a label like
that used with a doctor's bottle, while the parcel was directed to me.

I couldn't help my face working as I looked from one to the other.

"Cheer up, my lad," cried the General, as my mother pressed my hand, for
I had sunk down beside her on the seat.

"Of course he will," cried my uncle; "soldiers cheer up directly. I
say, Frank, the Doctor gave you a splendid character, but it wasn't
wanted. Your popularity staggers me."

"But I haven't seen poor old Senna," I cried.

"Seen whom?" said my uncle, laughing.

"Poor old Tom Mercer," I cried, when a hand from the back knocked my cap
over my eyes, and a familiar voice shouted,--

"'Bye, Frankie. Hooray! 'ray! 'ray! 'ray!"

There was Tom Mercer's face looking at us over the hood at the back, for
he had darted out from the hedge as the carriage passed the corner half
a mile from the school, climbed up behind, and was holding on with one
hand as he clutched at me with the other.

Then quickly--nay, more quickly than it has taken me to tell it--he let
go and dropped down into the road, where I could see him standing waving
his cap till a curve hid him from sight; and I once more sank into my
place too low-spirited to think, for my happy school-days were at an
end, and there before me in the dim distance, toward which I was being
hurried fast as two good mares could trot, was the great gateway of a
fresh life, through which lay the road to be followed in my progress to
become a soldier and a man.

THE END.

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