“Why didn’t he come along?” questioned Mr. Porter.
“Oh, he had a date with Belle Endicott. She and her folks came all the way from Montana to New York City to greet him.”
That night there was a great celebration at the Wadsworth mansion, many friends dropping in to greet Dave and Roger and congratulate them on their promotions. Of course, the young captain and the young lieutenant were in their new uniforms and Dave even wore a new wrist-watch his father gave him to replace the one lost in France, and if Jessie and Laura felt very proud of their fiancés, who can blame them?
The young engineers had to tell the particulars of many of the things which had happened to them during the war and had even to show some of the scars which had been inflicted.
“Oh, Dave, I am so very thankful that you didn’t come back minus an arm or a leg!” cried Jessie. “I’m so very, very thankful! After this whenever I meet a soldier who has been crippled I shall treat him with the greatest consideration, for now I understand a little of what he must have endured.”
“Yes, Jessie, they will deserve all the consideration you can give them,” the young captain answered gravely. “They are the real heroes—the fellows who will have to endure long after the shouting and the excitement have died out.”
Some time later there was another gala affair at the Wadsworth mansion. This was the occasion of a double wedding, when the beautiful Jessie Wadsworth became the bride of Captain David Porter and the bewitching Laura Porter paired off with Lieutenant Roger Morr.
At this double wedding Lieutenant Philip Lawrence was the best man for Dave, and Sergeant Benjamin Basswood was the best man for Roger. Among the bridesmaids was Belle Endicott, who had come all the way from her home in the West to be present.
There was also present a large contingent from Oak Hall, including Doctor Clay, the master, and Andrew Dale, his head assistant. Of course Buster Beggs and Shadow Hamilton were on hand, as were also Luke Watson, Sam Day, Bertram Vane, and some others of the old crowd.