ptains in the army. I was on duty in tactics when Lane
was in the Corps. Well, Mrs. Graham, we think we are sending him the
making of one of the best lieutenants," and with that the colonel bowed
as he took the hand of Geordie's mother. "Good sons make good soldiers
all the world over, Mrs. Graham, and we'll expect great things of
yours," he added, then grasped the doctor's out-stretched hand and gave
way to others who came crowding forward, among them a gentle, motherly
woman in half-mourning, whose eyes were moist as she exchanged greeting
with Mrs. Graham.

"Benny will be here the moment they break ranks," she said. "I know he,
too, will want to congratulate George."

And so there was quite a little gathering, and what the papers call an
"ovation," about the young graduate, who was blushing not a little
through his healthy tan. He was quite unable to hear where his
classmates had been distributed in the other regiments of cavalry and
infantry, and he was anxious to know, but even when the line of cadet
officers came marching to the front and stood at salute before the
battalion commander, and then broke ranks, and as many as a dozen made
a rush at their former first captain, eager to take him by the hand and
say a word of congratulation before they went bounding away to doff
dress hats, plumes, and sashes--even then Graham could not see the
order, for Colonel Hazzard called for it to show to a bevy of
bright-eyed girls, who knew the graduating class, now scattered all
over the United States, knew almost every one of them better than they
did this, their foremost cadet officer, for George Graham, though he
could dance, had seemed to care little for hops and less for girls. His
few leisure hours of the last year at the Point he had spent at the
side of his mother.

But at last, leaving Mrs. Frazier and Benny at camp, the Grahams were
walking slowly homeward in the wake of the brave young battalion,
marching away with its quick, elastic stride to the spirited music of
the fifes and drums. Lieutenant McCrea was still with them, while
Lieutenant Wood, another family friend, had taken to the telegraph
office Geordie's pencilled words of congratulation to his chum Connell,
now lieutenant of engineers. Mrs. Graham leaned heavily on the arm of
her sturdy son, thinking of all the joy that had been hers, after the
years of separation. It had been such a welcome, welcome order that
took Major Graham to duty at West Point the