into her hand. "I have a better
hilt-ribbon than that," he said; "and when we go into the house, I will
re-trim my sword."

She thought little of the remark at the time, though she carefully put
the tarnished tassel away among her dearest treasures; but it acquired a
new meaning in the morning. The troops were to leave very early; and
soon after dawn, she heard the clatter of galloping horses and the calls
of the men as they reined up at their commander's door. Bram, as his
father's lieutenant, was with them. The horses of Joris and Hyde were
waiting.

They rose from the breakfast-table and looked at their wives. Lysbet
gave a little sob, and laid her head a moment upon her husband's breast.
Katherine lifted her white face and whispered, with kisses, "Beloved
one, go. Night and day I will pray for you, and long for you. My love,
my dear one!"

There was hurry and tumult, and the stress of leave-taking was lightened
by it. Katherine held her husband's hand till they stood at the open
door. Then he looked into her face, and down at his sword, with a
meaning smile. And her eyes dilated, and a vivid blush spread over her
cheeks and throat, and she drew him back a moment, and passionately
kissed him again; and all her grief was lost in love and triumph. For,
wound tightly around his sword-hilt, she saw--though it was brown and
faded--her first, fateful love-token,--_The Bow of Orange Ribbon_.

[Illustration: Tail-piece]

POSTSCRIPT.

[QUOTATION FROM A LETTER DATED JULY 5, A.D. 1885.]

"Yesterday I went with my aunt to spend 'the Fourth' at the Hydes. They
have the most delightful place,--a great stone house in a wilderness of
foliage and beauty, and yet within convenient distance of the railroad
and the river-boats. Why don't we build such houses now? You could make
a ball-room out of the hall, and hold a grand reception on the
staircase. Kate Hyde said the house is more than a hundred years old,
and that the fifth generation is living in it. I am sure there are
pictures enough of the family to account for three hundred years; but
the two handsomest, after all, are those of the builders. They were very
great people at the court of Washington, I believe. I suppose it is
natural for those who have ancestors to brag about them, and to show off
the old buckles and fans and court-dresses they have hoarded up, not to
speak of the queer bits of plate and china; and, I must say, the Hydes
have a really delightful lot