sympathetic。 He had been greatly shocked and grieved by the news。
Young Speranza seemed to me； （he wrote） in my one short interview
with him； to be a fine young fellow。 Madeline； poor girl； is
almost frantic。 She will recover by and by； recovery is easier at
her age； but it will be very； very hard for you and Mrs。 Snow。 You
and I little thought when we discussed the problem of our young
people that it would be solved in this way。 To you and your wife
my sincerest sympathy。 When you hear particulars concerning your
grandson's death； please write me。 Madeline is anxious to know and
keeps asking for them。 Mrs。 Fosdick is too much concerned with her
daughter's health to write just now； but she joins me in sympathetic
regards。
Captain Zelotes took Mrs。 Fosdick's sympathy with a grain of salt。
When he showed this letter to his wife he； for the first time； told
her of the engagement； explaining that his previous silence had
been due to Albert's request that the affair be kept a secret for
the present。 Olive； even in the depth of her sorrow； was greatly
impressed by the grandeur of the alliance。
〃Just think； Zelotes；〃 she exclaimed； 〃the Fosdick girland our
Albert engaged to marry her！ Why； the Fosdicks are awful rich；
everybody says so。 Mrs。 Fosdick is head of I don't know how many
societies and clubs and things in New York； her name is in the
paper almost every day； so another New York woman told me at Red
Cross meetin' last summer。 And Mr。 Fosdick has been in politics；
way up in politics。〃
〃Um…hm。 Well； he's reformed lately； I understand； so we mustn't
hold that against him。〃
〃Why； Zelotes； what DO you mean？ How can you talk so？ Just think
what it would have meant to have our Albert marry a girl like
Madeline Fosdick。〃
The captain put his arm about her and gently patted her shoulder。
〃There； there； Mother；〃 he said； gently； 〃don't let that part of it
fret you。〃
〃But； Zelotes；〃 tearfully； 〃I don't understand。 It would have been
such a great thing for Albert。〃
〃Would it？ Well； maybe。 Anyhow； there's no use worryin' about it
now。 It's done withended and done with 。 。 。 same as a good many
other plans that's been made in the world。〃
〃Zelotes； don't speak like that； dear； so discouraged。 It makes me
feel worse than ever to hear you。 Andand he wouldn't want you
to； I'm sure。〃
〃Wouldn't he？ No； I cal'late you're right； Mother。 We'll try not
to。〃
Other letters came； including one from Helen。 It was not long。
Mrs。 Snow was a little inclined to feel hurt at its brevity。 Her
husband； however； did not share this feeling。
〃Have you read it carefully； Mother？〃 he asked。
〃Of course I have； Zelotes。 What do you mean？〃
〃I meanwell； I tell you； Mother； I've read it three time。 The
first time I was like you； seemed to me as good a friend of Al and
of us as Helen Kendall ought to have written more than that。 The
second time I read it I begun to wonder ifif〃
〃If what； Zelotes？〃
〃Oh； nothin'； Mother； nothin'。 She says she's comin' to see us
just as soon as she can get away for a day or two。 She'll come；
and when she does I cal'late both you and I are goin' to be
satisfied。〃
〃But why didn't she WRITE more； Zelotes？ That's what I can't
understand。〃
Captain Zelotes tugged at his beard reflectively。 〃When I wrote
Fosdick the other day；〃 he said； 〃I couldn't write more than a
couple of pages。 I was too upset to do it。 I couldn't； that's
all。〃
〃Yes； but you are Albert's grandfather。〃
〃I know。 And Helen's always 。 。 。 But there； Mother； don't you
worry about Helen Kendall。 I've known her since she was born；
pretty nigh； and _I_ tell you she's all RIGHT。〃
Fosdick； in his letter； had asked for particulars concerning
Albert's death。 Those particulars were slow in coming。 Captain
Zelotes wrote at once to the War Department； but received little
satisfaction。 The Department would inform him as soon as it
obtained the information。 The name of Sergeant Albert Speranza had
been cabled as one of a list of fatalities； that was all。
〃And to think；〃 as Rachel Ellis put it； 〃that we never knew that
he'd been made a sergeant until after he was gone。 He never had
time to write it； I expect likely； poor boy。〃
The first bit of additional information was furnished by the press。
A correspondent of one of the Boston dailies sent a brief dispatch
to his paper describing the fighting at a certain point on the
Allied front。 A small detachment of American troops had taken
part； with the French； in an attack on a village held by the enemy。
The enthusiastic reporter declared it to be one of the smartest
little actions in which our soldiers had so far taken part and was
eloquent concerning the bravery and dash of his fellow countrymen。
〃They proved themselves；〃 he went on； 〃and French officers with
whom I have talked are enthusiastic。 Our losses； considering the
number engaged； are said to be heavy。 Among those reported as
killed is Sergeant Albert Speranza； a Massachusetts boy whom
American readers will remember as a writer of poetry and magazine
fiction。 Sergeant Speranza is said to have led his company in the
capture of the village and to have acted with distinguished
bravery。〃 The editor of the Boston paper who first read this
dispatch turned to his associate at the next desk。
〃Speranza？ 。 。 。 Speranza？〃 he said aloud。 〃Say； Jim； wasn't it
Albert Speranza who wrote that corking poem we published after the
Lusitania was sunk？〃
Jim looked up。 〃Yes；〃 he said。 〃He has written a lot of pretty
good stuff since； too。 Why？〃
〃He's just been killed in action over there； so Conway says in this
dispatch。〃
〃So？ 。 。 。 Humph！ 。 。 。 Any particulars？〃
〃Not yet。 'Distinguished bravery；' according to Conway。 Couldn't
we have something done in the way of a Sunday special？ He was a
Massachusetts fellow。〃
〃We might。 We haven't a photograph； have we？ If we haven't；
perhaps we can get one。〃
The photograph was obtainedbribery and corruption of the Orham
photographerand； accompanied by a reprint of the Lusitania poem；
appeared in the 〃Magazine Section〃 of the Sunday newspaper。 With
these also appeared a short notice of the young poet's death in the
service of his country。
That was the beginning。 At the middle of that week Conway sent
another dispatch。 The editor who received it took it into the
office of the Sunday editor。
〃Say；〃 he said； 〃here are more particulars about that young chap
Speranza； the one we printed the special about last Sunday。 He
must have been a corker。 When his lieutenant was put out of
business by a shrapnel this Speranza chap rallied the men and
jammed 'em through the Huns like a hot knife through butter。
Killed the German officer and took three prisoners all by himself。
Carried his wounded lieutenant to the rear on his shoulders； too。
Then he went back into the ruins to get another wounded man and was
blown to slivers by a hand grenade。 He's been cited in orders and
will probably be decorated by the Frenchthat is； his memory will
be。 Pretty good for a poet； I'd say。 No 'lilies and languors'
about that； eh？〃
The Sunday editor nodded approval。
〃Great stuff！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Let me have that dispatch； will you；
when you've finished。 I've just discovered that this young
Speranza's father was Speranza； the opera baritone。 You remember
him？ And his mother was the daughter of a Cape Cod sea captain。
How's that？ Spain； Cape Cod； opera； poetry and the Croix de
Guerre。 And have you looked at the young fellow's photograph？
Combination of Adonis and 'Romeo； where art thou。' I've had no
less than twenty letters about him and his poetry already。 Next
Sunday we'll have a special 〃as is。〃 Where can I get hold of a lot
of his poems？〃
The 〃special as was〃 occupied an entire page。 A reporter had
visited South Harniss and had taken photographs of the Snow place
and some of its occupants。 Captain Zelotes had refused to pose；
but there was a view of the building and yards of 〃Z。 Snow and Co。〃
with the picturesque figure of Mr。 Issachar Price tastefully draped
against a pile of boards in the right foreground。 Issy had been a
find for the reporter； he supplied the latter with every fact
concerning Albert which he could remember and some that he invented
on the spur of the moment。 According to Issy； Albert was 〃a fine；
fust…class young feller。 Him and me was like brothers； as you
might say。 When he got into trouble； or was undecided or anything；
he'd come to me for advice and I always gave it to him。 Land； yes！
I always give to Albert。 No matter how busy I was I always stopped
work to help HIM out。〃 The reporter added that Mr。 Price stopped
work even while speaking of it。
The special attracted the notice of other newspaper editors。 This
skirmish in which Albert had taken so gallant part was among the
first in which our soldiers had participated。 So the story was
copied and recopied。 The tale of the death of the young poet； the
〃happy warrior；〃 as some writer called him； was spread from the
Atlantic to the Pacific and from Canada to the Gulf。 And just at
this psychological moment the New York publisher brought out the
long deferred volume。 The Lances of Dawn； Being the Collected
Poems of Albert M。 C。 Speranza； such was its title。
Meanwhile； or； rather； within the week when the Lances of Dawn
flashed upon the public； Captain Zelotes received a letter from the
captain of Albert's regiment in France。 It was not a long letter；
for the captain was a busy man； but it was the kindly； sympathetic
letter of one who was； literally； that well…advertised combination；
an officer and a gentleman。 It told of Albert's promotion to the
rank of sergeant； 〃a promotion which； had the boy been spared；
would； I am sure； have been the forerunner of others。〃 It told of
that last fight； the struggle for the village； of Sergeant
Speranza's coolness and daring and of his rush back into the throat
of death to save a wounded comrade。
The men tell me they tried to stop him （wrote the captain）。 He was
himself slightly wounded； he had just brought Lieutenant Stacey
back to safety and the enemy at that moment was ag