laughed again. 

 “No, I didn’t use t’ be that way,” said his friend thoughtfully. “That’s true ’nough.” 

 “Well, I didn’t mean—” began the youth. 

 The friend made another deprecatory gesture. “Oh, yeh needn’t mind, Henry.” 

 There was another little pause. 

 “Th’ reg’ment lost over half th’ men yestirday,” remarked the friend eventually. “I thought ’a course they was all dead, but, laws, they kep’ a-comin’ back last night until it seems, after all, we didn’t lose but a few. They’d been scattered all over, wanderin’ around in th’ woods, fightin’ with other reg’ments, an’ everything. Jest like you done.” 

 “So?” said the youth. 

 

Chapter XV.

 The regiment was standing at order arms at the side of a lane, waiting for the command to march, when suddenly the youth remembered the little packet enwrapped in a faded yellow envelope which the loud young soldier with lugubrious words had intrusted to him. It made him start. He uttered an exclamation and turned toward his comrade. 

 “Wilson!” 

 “What?” 

 His friend, at his side in the ranks, was thoughtfully staring down the road. From some cause his expression was at that moment very meek. The youth, regarding him with sidelong glances, felt impelled to change his purpose. “Oh, nothing,” he said. 

 His friend turned his head in some surprise, “Why, what was yeh goin’ t’ say?” 

 “Oh, nothing,” repeated the youth. 

 He resolved not to deal the little blow. It was sufficient that the fact made him glad. It was not necessary to knock his friend on the head with the misguided packet. 

 He had been possessed of much fear of his friend, for he saw how easily questionings could make holes in his feelings. Lately, he had assured himself that the altered comrade would not tantalize him with a persistent curiosity, but he felt certain that during the first period of 

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