hat same
garden path, hand in hand, their faces seamed with age to other eyes,
but changed in not a line to them, the vision would not have added a
jot to their perfect faith. They would have nodded to each other and
smiled--"Yes, we know, we know!" The night, the rushing earth, the
star-swept spaces of the infinite held no greater wonder than was
theirs--they held no wonder at all. The moon shone, that night, for
them; the wind whispered, leaves danced, flowers nodded, and crickets
chirped from the grass for them; the farthest star kept eternal lids
apart just for them and beyond, the Maker himself looked down, that
night, just to bless them.

Back they went through the old garden, hand in hand. No caress had ever
passed between these two. That any man could ever dare even to dream of
touching her sacred lips had been beyond the boy's imaginings--such was
the reverence in his love for her--and his very soul shook when, at the
gate, Margaret's eyes dropped from his to the sabre cut on his cheek
and she suddenly lifted her face.

"I know how you got that, Chad," she said, and with her lips she gently
touched the scar. Almost timidly the boy drew her to him. Again her
lips were lifted in sweet surrender, and every wound that he had known
in his life was healed.

. . . . .

"I'll show you your horse, Chad."

They did not waken old Tom, but went around to the stable and Chad led
out a handsome colt, his satiny coat shining in the moonlight like
silver. He lifted his proud head, when he saw Margaret, and whinnied.

"He knows his mistress, Margaret--and he's yours."

"Oh, no, Chad."

"Yes," said Chad, "I've still got Dixie."

"Do you still call her Dixie?"

"All through the war."

Homeward they went through the dewy fields.

"I wish I could have seen the Major before he died. If he could only
have known how I suffered at causing him so much sorrow. And if you
could have known."

"He did know and so did I--later. All that is over now."

They had reached the stone wall and Chad picked up the flag again.

"This is the only time I have ever carried this flag, unless I--unless
it had been captured."

"You had captured it, Chad."

"There?" Chad pointed to the stile and Margaret nodded.

"There--here everywhere."

Seated on the porch, Mrs. Dean and Harry and Dan saw them coming across
the field and Mrs. Dean sighed.

"Father would not say a word against it, mother," said the elder boy,
"if he were here."