They had hardly recovered from their joy at the victory, and the delight in welcoming home the ones who had done so much toward winning it, when other glad tidings came to them. Weak, miserable, fever-wasted though he was, it was a day of rejoicing for them all that brought Joe home again. Big Pat Flynn and William lifted the wasted figure from the carriage to the house, and Lettice, who was on the lookout for him, ran to the door. She burst into tears as she saw the mournful, hollow eyes, and Aunt Martha, close upon her heels, chid her with:-- “That is a pretty way to welcome the boy! Why, Joe--” And then she, too, lost control of herself, and, leaning on Lettice’s shoulder, began to weep. “That’s a pretty way to welcome the boy!” laughed William. “Here, Betty, can’t you do better than that?” And Betty, whose chin was quivering, gulped down a rising sob and smiled, saying: “You dear Joe, how glad I am to see you! Welcome home, Joe! Welcome home!” “Heigho, Mars Joe!” came a small pert voice. “Fo’ de Lawd, but yuh look lak a ole rooster what los’ he tail fedders.” “Halloo, Danny! Where did you pop from? If I look like a scarecrow now, how do you think I looked when I started for home, before I had a good lot of fresh air and something to eat? Why, I’m a good-looking fellow to what I was,” said Joe, laughing weakly. Danny snickered, and Aunt Martha turned, saying severely: “Danny, leave the room, and don’t let me hear another word from you. Bring Joe into the sitting room, boys, and we’ll make the dear child comfortable;” which, indeed, they did, so that within twenty-four hours he was looking better. Lettice’s first thought was of Patsey, and she despatched a letter to her as quickly as possible, and there were at least two perfectly happy persons under that roof when Patsey responded in person. But on top of this came a sad letter from Lettice’s father. “Our dear Tom, my brave first-born, has gone from me,” he wrote. “He died to save my life, for in a hand-to-hand fight, he threw himself between me and my enemy, shouting, ‘I’ll save you, father,’ and he received the blow that would have finished me. I trust that I yet have one son left, and though I would not have him serve his country less well than those that have been taken, I pray he may be spared to us, and I beseech him not to expose himself to unnecessary perils.” “Dear old Tom,” Lettice murmured, with softly falling tears, “it seems as if he returned simply to retrieve himself and to leave behind a loving memory of him. We can be proud of him, now. But oh, Jamie has gone, and Tom has gone, and all I have left is Brother William. Even Lutie is taken from me.” But a few days after this came a surprise for Lettice. Danny, with dancing eyes, and ducking his head as he gave frequent smothered bursts of laughter, appeared at the sitting room door where Lettice sat with her Cousin Joe and Patsey. “Somebody out hyar ter see yuh, Miss Letty,” Danny announced, and then he ran.