last lap of their boy's
cadet life. Every Saturday evening he had spent "at home" in the
surgeon's quarters, and many a Sunday afternoon. How she had looked
forward from week end to week end! How swiftly had the weeks slipped
by! How would she miss him in the years to come! How lonely would be
the Saturdays and Sundays without her boys, for "Buddy" too, was to
leave the home nest. He had passed for Columbia and was to have some
terms at what the doctor loved to call "the humanities" before taking
up the study of medicine. Her heart had been full of rejoicing and
thanksgiving when graduation came, barely a fortnight agone--yet when,
for the last time in cadet uniform Geordie stood before her, so
soldierly, so manly, so honored by his comrades in the Corps, and she
followed him with brimming eyes when, leaving his diploma in her hand,
he turned away to his room, in the tower of the old first division, to
lay aside forever the plume and sash, the sword and chevrons of the
first captaincy, to shed the academy uniform for good and all, she knew
she wished the whole year could be lived over again; she knew she would
rather the time were still far distant when her son should "change the
gray for the blue."

But now, now, every hour of every day for three glorious and beautiful
months, she was to have him by her side. She need not, she would not,
think of the separation to come late in September, when he must join
his regiment and be her boy no more. At least she would try not to
think, but here was this cold, stern, business-like order to remind her
that she had given her first-born to the service of his country--that
now he belonged to the general government and no longer to her. All too
soon--oh, many weeks too soon--had the mandate appeared, for it would
haunt her day and night until the hour for parting came. Ah, thank God,
that at least would not be for weeks! Even Geordie now had become
silent and serious. He was listening to McCrea's eager words to Dr.
Graham, all about the regiment and Fort Reynolds, and how he wished
they were back there again, the finest station the --th had ever had,
he declared, and "so near the mines!"

"Just think, Geordie," he cried, "if we were all at Reynolds we could
run up the range to the Silver Shield any day, and watch them dragging
out gold."

"You haven't lost faith in the Shield, then?" asked Mrs. Graham,
smilingly. She thought and cared so little herself. She knew that
several off