y as now, when she stood by
the window with an expression on her face as if she were thinking of the
past, before her reason was clouded.

"Oh, the river!--the beautiful river!" she said. "It brings things
back,--the boat I went in; not like that," and she pointed to a large,
handsome steamboat lying at the wharf. "Not like that. What was its
name?"

Jack, who was in the room, and who had read Mr. Mason's letter to his
son, suggested, "The 'Hatty'?"

"Yes, the 'Hatty'!" Amy said. "Strange, I remember it when I have
forgotten so much. And he was with me,--my father. Wasn't he my father?"

She looked at Eloise, who answered promptly, "Yes, he was your father."

"I thought so. He said I was to call him so," Amy went on, more to
herself than to Eloise. "I didn't always, he was so cold and proud and
hard with me, but he was kind at the last, and he is dead, and this is
Florida, where the oranges and palm trees grow. They are there,--see!"
and she pointed to the right, where a tall palm tree raised its head
above an orange grove below.

She was beginning to remember, and Eloise and Jack kept silent while she
went on: "And we are here to find my mother and Jakey."

She looked again at Eloise, who answered her: "To find Jakey,--yes; and
to-morrow we shall see him. To-night you must rest."

"Yes, rest to-night, and to-morrow go to Jakey," Amy replied, submissive
as a little child to whatever Eloise bade her do.

She was very tired, and slept soundly without once waking, and her first
question in the morning was, "Is it to-morrow, and are we in Florida?"

"Yes, dearest, we are in Florida, and going to find Jakey," was Eloise's
reply, as she kissed her mother's face, and thought how young and fair
it was still, with scarcely a line upon it.

Only the eyes and the droop of the mouth showed signs of past suffering,
and these were passing away with a renewal of old scenes and memories.
Jack had found the Rev. Mr. Mason, who received him cordially.

"I was expecting you," he said. "A telegram from my son told me you were
on the way. I have not seen Jake, as it was only yesterday I had the
despatch. I have one piece of news, however, for which I am sorry. Elder
Covil died in Virginia soon after the war, and nothing can be learned
from him."

Jack was greatly disappointed. His hope had been to find Elder Covil,
if living, or some trace of him, and that was swept away; but he would
not tell Eloise. She was all eagerness an