in case of a fire, when
the conductor appeared, extending his hand officially toward her as the
first one convenient. For an instant Aunt Betsy scanned him closely,
thinking she surely had never seen him before, but as he seemed to claim
acquaintance she could not find it in her kind heart to ignore him
altogether, and so she grasped the offered hand, which she tried to
shake, saying apologetically:

"Pretty well, thank you, but you've got the better of me, as I don't
justly recall your name."

Instantly the eyes of the young man under the window met those of the
conductor with a look which changed the frown gathering in the face of
the latter into a comical smile as he withdrew his hand and shouted:

"Ticket, madam, your ticket!"

"For the land's sake, have I got to give that up so quick, when it's at
the bottom of my satchel," Aunt Betsy replied, somewhat crestfallen at
her mistake, and fumbling in her pocket for the key, which was finally
produced, and one by one the paper parcels of fennel, caraway, and
catnip, dried plums, peaches and yeast cakes, were taken out, until at
the very bottom, as she had said, the ticket was found, the conductor
waiting patiently, and advising her, by way of avoiding future trouble,
to pin the card to her shawl, where it could be seen.

"A right nice man," was Aunt Betsy's mental comment, but for a long time
there was a red spot on her cheeks as she felt that she had made herself
ridiculous, and hoped the girls would never hear of it.

The young man, however, helped to reassure her, and in telling him her
troubles she forgot her chagrin, feeling very sorry that he was going on
to Albany, and so down the river to West Point. West Point was
associated in Aunt Betsy's mind with that handful of noble men who
within the walls of Sumter were then the center of so much interest, and
at parting with her companion she said to him:

"Young man, you are a soldier, I take it, from your havin' been to
school at West Point. Maybe you'll never have to use your learning, but
if you do, stick to the old flag. Don't you go against that, and if an
old woman's prayers for your safety can do any good, be sure you'll have
mine."

She raised her hand reverently, and Lieutenant Bob felt a kind of awe
steal over him as if he might one day need that benediction, the first
perhaps given in the cause now so terribly agitating all hearts both
North and South.

"I'll remember what you say," he answered,