Tom had written twice for him to come as soon as possible, and now only one day more remained of the month he was to spend at home. The Widow Simms was ready to go with him; Susan had gone to her mother, and the cottage was to be closed, subject to a continual oversight from Mrs. Baker and an occasional inspection from both Rose and Annie. The _box_ which Isaac had hidden in the barn, waiting for the bonfire which should celebrate our nation’s final victory, had been brought from its hiding-place, and baptized with the first and only tears the widow had shed since she went back to her humble home and left him in the graveyard. Sacred to her was that box, and she put it with her best table and chairs, bidding Annie Graham see that no harm befell it, and saying to her, “In case I never come back, and peace is declared, burn the box for Isaac’s sake, right there on the grass-plat, which he dreamed about in Richmond.” And Annie promised all, as she packed the widow’s trunk, putting in many little dainties which Rose Mather had supplied, and which were destined for the soldiers whom the widow was to nurse. She had been all day with Mrs. Simms, and Rose had been back and forth with her packages, curtailing her calls because of Jimmie, with whom she would spend as much time as possible. Jimmie was not in a very social mood that day; the house was very lonely without Annie, and the young man did nothing but walk from one window to another, looking always in the direction of Widow Simms’, and scarcely heeding at all what either his mother or sister were saying to him. When it began to grow dark, and he heard Rose speak of sending the carriage for Annie as she had promised to do, he said: “I ought to see Mrs. Simms myself to-night, and know if everything is in readiness for to-morrow. I will go for Mrs. Graham, and Rose,—don’t order the carriage,—there is a fine moon, and she,—that is,—I would rather walk.” Jimmie spoke hurriedly, and something in his manner betrayed to Rose the reason why he preferred to walk. “Oh, Jimmie!” she exclaimed, “I’m so glad; tell her so for me. I thought at first you did not like each other, and everything was going wrong. I am so glad; though I had picked her out for Tom. I ’most know he fancied her, and then he is a widower. It would be more suitable.”