With the furlough in his pocket, Tom obtained his order for transportation, and with a light heart, full of pleasant anticipations, started for home.  As he was still dressed in the faded and shattered uniform of a non-commissioned officer, he did not attract any particular notice on the way.  He was enabled to pass through Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York, without being bored by a public reception, which some less deserving heroes have not been permitted to escape.  But the people did not understand that Tom had a second lieutenant’s commission in his pocket, and he was too modest to proclaim the fact, which may be the reason why he was suffered to pass through these great emporiums of trade without an escort, or other demonstration of respect and admiration.

Tom’s heart jumped with strange emotions when he arrived at Boston, perhaps because he was within a few miles of home; possibly because he was in the city that contained Lilian Ashford, for boys will be silly in spite of all the exertions of parents, guardians, and teachers, to make them sober and sensible.  Such absurdities as “the air she breathes,” and other rhapsodies of that sort, may have flitted through his mind; but we are positive that Tom did not give voice to any such nonsense, for every body in the city was a total stranger to him, so far as he knew.  Besides, Tom had no notion of appearing before the original of the photograph in the rusty uniform he wore; and as he had to wait an hour for the Pinchbrook train, he hastened to a tailor’s to order a suit of clothes which would be appropriate to his new dignity.

He ordered them, was duly measured and had given the tailor his promise to call for the garments at the expiration of five days, when the man of shears disturbed the serene current of his meditations by suggesting that the lieutenant should pay one half of the price of the suit in advance.

“It is a custom we adopt in all our dealings with strangers,” politely added the tailor.

“But I don’t propose to take the uniform away until it is paid for,” said Tom, blushing with mortification; for it so happened that he had not money enough to meet the demand of the tailor.

“Certainly not,” blandly replied Shears; “but we cannot make up the goods with the risk of not disposing of them.  They may not fit the next man who wants such a suit.”

“I have not the money, sir;” and Tom felt that the confession was an awful sacrifice of dignity on the part of an officer in the army of the Potomac, who had fought gallantly for his country on the bloody fields of Williamsburg and Bull Run.

“I am very sorry, sir.  I should be happy to make up the goods, but you will see that our rule is a reasonable one.”

Tom wanted to tell him that this lack of confidence was not a suitable return of a stay-at-home for the peril and privation he had endured for him; but he left in disgust, hardly replying to the flattering request of the tailor that he would call again.  With his pride touched, he walked down to the railroad station to await the departure of the train.  He had hardly entered the building before he discovered the familiar form of Captain Barney, to whom he hastened to present himself.