re in the button-hole
of his scouting-shirt a single daisy--Marion's own flower--and a tiny
speck of dark-blue ribbon. The yellow facings of the cavalry were linked
with the Sanford blue.

And wasn't Blake in a gale that morning? Rattling with nonsense and
misquotation and eagerness to be off, he strode from gallery to gallery
with his Mexican spurs clattering at his heels. He had bought in town a
little china match-safe, which he gravely presented to Mrs. Whaling as a
slight addition to the collection of what she termed her brick-a-braw.
He implored Mrs. Turner to sing to him just once, for singing was a
doubtful accomplishment of hers, and she had already good reason to know
that he had paraphrased one of her songs, because of her defective
enunciation, into--

"Some day, some day, some day
I shall meat chew,"

and she never forgave ridicule. He declared he meant to kiss Mrs.
Wilkins good-by, and dared Mrs. Stannard to come down and see him do it;
but when it was really time to ride to the head of his troop of
recruits, he bowed to Miss Sanford with a knowing look in his eye, and
bent low over her hand.

"'Love sought is good, but given unsought is better;'

and yet, fair lady, you fail to see the overpowering advantages of
accepting mine. In the language of Schillerschoppenhausen, Ich habe
geliebt und gelebt, which being interpreted means, I've loved and got
left. Fare ye well." And away he rode, bestriding his horse like a pair
of bent dividers on a broad grin.

And Ray,--though pale from recent illness and confinement and lack of
the old open air life,--never had he looked so full of hope and buoyancy
and life as, after one thrilling little squeeze of her hand, he swung
into saddle, doffed his broad-brimmed hat to all, and went bounding away
to take his place in front of the long mounted line that awaited his
coming. Then his voice rang out clear and firm and true, and with the
daisy nestling in his breast he galloped to the head of column. Duty,
Loyalty, and Hope were leading on before.

Two long weeks of marching it took to carry them to the romantic valley
in the Black Hills where the old --th so eagerly awaited them, and
meantime letters were flying to and fro. Ray meant to bring his new
riders and new horses in perfect trim to their regiments, and so made
short marches and constant inspection of his stock. Heavens! what a
gloom had settled over the regiment that miserable day, when one of