you? Why didn't you put R in the corner if you meant it for me? I
think you meant this for Charley Crabbe."

"No, I didunt." Betty spoke most emphatically. "Martha has one for
him. I put C because--you'll see when you open it. Everything's bound
all round with my very best cherry-colored hair ribbon, to make it
very special, and that is what C is for. All the rest are brown, and
this is prettier, and it won't get mixed with Peter Junior's."

"Ah, yes. C is for cherry--Betty's hair ribbon; and the gold-brown
leather is for Betty's hair. Is that it?"

"Yep."

"Haven't I one, too?" asked Peter Junior.

"Yep. We made them just alike, and you can sew on buttons and
everything."

Thus the children made the leave-taking less somber, to the relief of
every one.

Grandfather and grandmother Clide had friends of their own whom they
had come all the forty miles to see,--neighbor boys from many of the
farms around their home, and their daughter-in-law's own brother, who
was like a son to them. There he stood, lithe and strong and genial,
and, alas! too easy-going to be safe among the temptations of the
camp.

Quickly the hour passed and the call came to form ranks for the march
to the town square, where speeches were to be made and prayers were to
be read before the march to the station.

Our little party waited until the last company had left the camp
ground and the excited children had seen them all and heard the sound
of the fife and drum to their last note and beat as the "boys in blue"
filed past them and off down the winding country road among the trees.
Nothing was said by the older ones of what might be in the future for
those gallant youths--yes, and for the few men of greater years with
them--as they wound out of sight. It was better so. Bobby fell asleep
in Mary Ballard's arms as they drove back, and a bright tear fell from
her wide-open, far-seeing eyes down on his baby cheek.

It was no lack of love for his son that kept Elder Craigmile away at
the departure of the boys from their camp on the bluff. He had
virtually said his say and parted from his son when he gave his
consent to his going in the first place. To him war meant sacrifice,
and the parting with sons, at no matter what cost. The dominant idea
with him was ever the preservation of the Union. At nine o'clock as
usual that morning he had entered the bank, and a few minutes later,
when the troops formed on the square, he came out and took his
appo