“Oh, that’s it, is it?” said Leon. “Well, if that’s the order of the day, mother’ll have to do the same by Bony, for he’s stuck to her like a burr, all the evening, and he’s quite playing the society man. See there!”
As he spoke, Leon pointed in at the open window, opposite which sat Mrs. Arnold, with the young teacher at her side. Mr. Boniface was talking with an animation and an earnestness which lent an unwonted ease to his ordinarily stiff manner. Harry surveyed them approvingly.
“I knew ’twould be so, when I introduced him to her,” he said. “Trust my mother for always finding out the softest side of people and getting at it, in spite of their hard shells.”
Just then there was a general movement of the people inside the parlor, and Mr. Boniface rose, offering his arm to the woman at his side. A moment later, Lieutenant Wilde appeared in the doorway.
“Miss Arnold,” he said; “may I take you in to supper?”
For a moment, Dorothy’s eyes rested on him admiringly. Lieutenant Wilde was unusually resplendent that night, for he was in full army uniform and the lights shone out on his blue coat, and glittered and winked over the brass buttons and epaulettes which were so becoming to the firm, manly figure and handsome face. Then the girl rose and passed her hand under the arm of Alex, who stood ready at her side.
“Thank you, Lieutenant Wilde,” she said gently; “but Mr. Sterne had asked me before.”
Again, the next morning, they all gathered in the little church, for an hour or two. Then, just as the golden noontide had come, the doctor spoke his few last earnest words, and the class of ninety-one had marched from quiet Flemming, out into their wider field of service.
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THE next evening the Wilders were gathered on the steps of Old Flemming. It had been a hurried, confused day, for the morning had been devoted to departing friends, and the afternoon to packing, since they were to leave Flemming Hall early the next morning. Now all was done, and they had gone down from their forlorn, dismantled rooms, to enjoy the still, warm night.
“I believe this has been an unusually moony commencement,” said Louis thoughtfully, as he watched the white light on the lawn and buildings before him.