hed the lovely villa, where they found Violet seated in a
Quaker rocking-chair on the front porch, with a basket workstand beside
her, busily and happily engaged in her beloved work--embroidering an
infant's white cashmere cloak. She jumped up, dropped her work, and ran
to meet her visitors as they alighted from the carriage. She kissed Cora
rapturously, and Sylvan kissed her.

"How lovely of you both to come! Wait a minute till I call a boy to take
your chaise around to the stable. And, oh, sit down. You are going to
stay all day with me, too, and late into the night--there is a fine moon
to-night. Or maybe you will stay a week or a month. Why not? Oh, do
stay," she rattled on, a little incoherently on account of her happy
excitement.

"No, dear," said Cora, "we can only stay a very few minutes. The rising
moon will see us far away on our route to New York."

"W-h-y! You astonish me! How sudden this is! Where are you going?" asked
Violet, pausing in her hurry to call a groom.

"Let me explain," said Cora, taking one of the Quaker chairs and seating
herself. "Sylvan has just received his commission as second lieutenant
in the 3d Regiment of Infantry, now on Governor's Island, New York
harbor, but under orders for Fort Farthermost, on the extreme frontier
of the Indian Reserve. He leaves by the afternoon express, and I go with
him."

"Cora!" exclaimed Violet, as she dropped into her chair. "I know you
have talked about this, but I never thought you would do such a wild
deed! Please don't think of going out among bears and Indians!"

"I must, dear, for many reasons. Sylvan and myself are all and all to
each other at present, and we should not be parted. More than that, I
wish to do something in the world. I can not do anything here. I am not
wanted, you see. I must, therefore, go where I may be wanted and may do
some good."

"But what can you do--out there?"

Cora then explained her plan of establishing a missionary home and
school for Indian children.

"What a good, great, but, oh, what a Quixotic plan! Sylvan, why will you
let her do it?" pleaded Violet.

"My dear, I would not presume to oppose Cora. If she thinks she is right
in this matter, then she is right. If her resolution is fixed, then I
will uphold and defend her in that resolution," said the young
lieutenant, loyally. But all the same his secret thought was that some
fine fellow in his own regiment might be able to persuade Cora to devote
her time