le sea of purple and
gold. She took the cape of her sunbonnet and with it wiped away the
unaccustomed tears.

"Sho!" said Sairy. "We'll all miss Billy. I reckon we all that stay at
home air going to have our fill o' missing!--What have you got in your
basket, honey?"

Christianna lifted a coloured handkerchief and drew from the basket a
little bag of flowered chintz, roses and tulips, drawn up with a blue
ribbon. "My! that's pretty," exclaimed Sairy. "Whar did you get the
stuff?"

The girl regarded the bag with soft pride. "Last summer I toted a bucket
o' blackberries down to Three Oaks an' sold them to Mrs. Cleave. An' she
was making a valance for her tester bed, an' I thought the stuff was
mighty pretty, an' she gave me a big piece! an' I put it away in my
picture box with my glass beads. For the ribbon--I'd saved a little o'
my berry money, an' I walked to Buchanan an' bought it." She drew a long
breath. "My land! 't was fine in the town--High Street just crowded with
Volunteers, and the drums were beating." Her eyes shone like stars.
"It's right hard on women to stay at home an' have all the excitement go
away. There don't seem to be nothin' to make it up to us--"

Sairy put away the ironing-board. "Sho! We've just got the little end,
as usual. What's in the bag, child?"

"Thar's thread and needles in a needle-case, an' an emery," said
Christianna. "I wanted a little pair of scissors that was at Mr.
Moelick's, but I didn't have enough. They'd be right useful, I reckon,
to a soldier, but I couldn't get them. I wondered if the bag ought to be
smaller--but he'll have room for it, I reckon? _I_ think it's right
pretty."

Old Tom Cole leaned over, took the tiny, flowery affair, and balanced it
gently upon a horny hand. "Of course he'll have room for it! An' it's
jest as pretty as they make them!--An' here he comes now, down the
mountain, to thank ye himself!"

Allan Gold thanked Christianna with simplicity. He had never had so
pretty a thing, and he would keep it always, and every time he looked at
it he would see Thunder Run and hear the bees in the flowers. It was
very kind of her to make it for him, and--and he would keep it always.
Christianna listened, and then, with her eyes upon the heartsease, began
to say good-bye in her soft, drawling voice. "You're going down the
mountain to-day, Mrs. Cole says. Well, good-bye. An' pap's goin' too,
an' Dave an' Billy have gone. I reckon the birds won't be singin' when