ing to Hoboken to see her
daughter off, and whispered in the ear of Louise many worldly
admonitions and such bits of practical advice as she could call to mind
on the spur of the moment.

Major Gregory Doyle was there, pompous and straight of form and wearing
an assumed smile that was meant to assure Patsy he was delighted at her
going, but which had the effect of scaring the girl because she at first
thought the dreadful expression was due to convulsions.

The Major had no admonitions for Patsy, but she had plenty for him, and
gave him a long list of directions that would, as he said, cause him to
"walk mighty sthraight" if by good luck he managed to remember them all.

Having made up his mind to let the child go to Europe, the old fellow
allowed no wails or bemoanings to reach Patsy's ears to deprive her of a
moment's joyful anticipation of the delights in store for her. He
laughed and joked perpetually during that last day, and promised the
girl that he would take a vacation while she was gone and visit his old
colonel in Virginia, which she knew was the rarest pleasure he could
enjoy. And now he stood upon the deck amusing them all with his quaint
sayings and appearing so outwardly jolly and unaffected that only Patsy
herself suspected the deep grief that was gripping his kindly old
heart.

Uncle John guessed, perhaps, for he hugged the Major in a tight embrace,
whispering that Patsy should be now, as ever, the apple of his eye and
the subject of his most loving care.

"An' don't be forgetting to bring me the meerschaum pipe from Sicily an'
the leathern pocket-book from Florence," the Major said to Patsy,
impressively. "It's little enough for ye to remember if ye go that way,
an' to tell the truth I'm sending ye abroad just for to get them. An'
don't be gettin' off the boat till it stops at a station; an' remember
that Uncle John is full of rheumatics an' can't walk more n' thirty mile
an hour, an'--"

"It's a slander," said Uncle John, stoutly. "I never had rheumatics in
my life."

"Major," observed Patsy, her blue eyes full of tears but her lips trying
to smile, "do have the tailor sponge your vest every Saturday. It's full
of spots even now, and I've been too busy lately to look after you
properly. You're--you're--just disgraceful, Major!"

"All ashore!" called a loud voice.

The Major gathered Patsy into an embrace that threatened to crush her,
and then tossed her into Uncle John's arms and hurried aw