in strict confidence； the tale to other friends and acquaintances。
Mrs。 Fosdick began to receive condolences on her daughter's account
and on her own。 Soon she began to speak publicly of 〃My poor； dear
daughter's dead fiance。 Such a loss to American literature。 Sheer
genius。 Have you read the article in the Timepiece？ Madeline；
poor girl； is heartbroken； naturally； but very proud； even in the
midst of her grief。 So are we all； I assure you。〃
She quoted liberally from The Lances of Dawn。 A copy specially
bound； lay upon her library table。 Albert's photograph in uniform；
obtained from the Snows by Mr。 Fosdick； who wrote for it at his
wife's request； stood beside it。 To callers and sister war workers
Mrs。 Fosdick gave details of the hero's genius； his bravery； his
devotion to her daughter。 It was all so romantic and pleasantly
self…advertisingand perfectly safe。
Summer came again； the summer of 1918。 The newspapers now were
gravely personal reading to millions of Americans。 Our new army
was trying its metal on the French front and with the British
against the vaunted Hindenburg Line。 The transports were carrying
thousands on every trip to join those already 〃over there。〃 In
South Harniss and in Greenwich and New York； as in every town and
city； the ordinary summer vacations and playtime occupations were
forgotten or neglected and war charities and war labors took their
place。 Other soldiers than Sergeant Speranza were the newspaper
heroes now； other books than The Lances of Dawn talked about。
As on the previous summer the new Fosdick cottage was not occupied
by its owners。 Mrs。 Fosdick was absorbed by her multitudinous war
duties and her husband was at Washington giving his counsel and
labor to the cause。 Captain Zelotes bought to his last spare
dollar of each successive issue of Liberty Bonds； and gave that
dollar to the Red Cross or the Y。 M。 C。 A。； Laban and Rachel did
likewise。 Even Issachar Price bought Thrift Stamps and exhibited
them to anyone who would stop long enough to look。
〃By crimus；〃 declared Issy； 〃I'm makin' myself poor helpin' out the
gov'ment； but let 'er go and darn the Kaiser； that's my motto。 But
they ain't all like me。 I was down to the drug store yesterday and
old man Burgess had the cheek to tell me I owed him for some cigars
I boughterlast fall； seems to me 'twas。 I turned right around
and looked at him'I've got my opinion；' says I； 'of a man that
thinks of cigars and such luxuries when the country needs every
cent。 What have you got that gov'ment poster stuck up on your wall
for？' says I。 'Read it；' I says。 'It says' '〃Save！ Save！
Save！〃' don't it？ All right。 That's what I'M doin'。 I AM
savin'。' Then when he was thinkin' of somethin' to answer back I
walked right out and left him。 Yes sir； by crimustee； I left him
right where he stood！〃
August came； Septemberthe Hindenburg Line was broken。 Each day
the triumphant headlines in the papers were big and black and also；
alas； the casualty lists on the inside pages long and longer。 Then
October。 The armistice was signed。 It was the end。 The Allied
world went wild； cheered； danced； celebrated。 Then it sat back；
thinking； thanking God； solemnly trying to realize that the killing
days； the frightful days of waiting and awful anxiety； were over。
And early in November another telegram came to the office of Z。
Snow and Co。 This time it came； not from the War Department
direct； but from the Boston headquarters of the American Red Cross。
And this time； just as on the day when the other fateful telegram
came； Laban Keeler was the first of the office regulars to learn
its contents。 Ben Kelley himself brought this message； just as he
had brought that telling of Albert Speranza's death。 And the
usually stolid Ben was greatly excited。 He strode straight from
the door to the bookkeeper's desk。
〃Is the old man in； Labe？〃 he whispered； jerking his head toward
the private office； the door of which happened to be shut。
Laban looked at him over his spectacles。 〃Cap'n Lote； you mean？〃
he asked。 〃Yes； he's in。 But he don't want to be disturbedno；
no。 Goin' to write a couple of important letters； he said。
Important ones。 。 。 。 Um…hm。 What is it； Ben？ Anything I can do
for you？〃
Kelley did not answer that question。 Instead he took a telegram
from his pocket。
〃Read it； Labe；〃 he whispered。 〃Read it。 It's the darndest news
thethe darnedest good news ever you heard in your life。 It don't
seem as if it could he； but； by time； I guess 'tis。 Anyhow； it's
from the Red Cross folks and they'd ought to know。〃
Laban stared at the telegram。 It was not in the usual envelope；
Kelley had been too anxious to bring it to its destination to
bother with an envelope。
〃Read it；〃 commanded the operator again。 〃See if you think Cap'n
Lote ought to have it broke easy to him oror what？ Read it； I
tell you。 Lord sakes； it's no secret！ I hollered it right out
loud when it come in over the wire and the gang at the depot heard
it。 They know it and it'll be all over town in ten minutes。 READ
IT。〃
Keeler read the telegram。 His florid cheeks turned pale。
〃Good Lord above！〃 he exclaimed； under his breath。
〃Eh？ I bet you！ Shall I take it to the cap'n？ Eh？ What do you
think？〃
〃Wait。 。 。 。 Wait 。 。 。 II My soul！ My soul！ Why 。 。 。
It'sit's true。 。 。 。 And Rachel always said 。 。 。 Why； she was
right 。 。 。 I 。 。 。〃
From without came the sound of running feet and a series of yells。
〃Labe！ Labe！〃 shrieked Issy。 〃Oh； my crimus！ 。 。 。 Labe！〃
He burst into the office； his eyes and mouth wide open and his
hands waving wildly。
〃Labe！ Labe！〃 he shouted again。 〃Have you heard it？ Have you？
It's true； too。 He's alive！ He's alive！ He's alive！〃
Laban sprang from his stool。 〃Shut up； Is！〃 he commanded。 〃Shut
up！ Hold on！ Don't〃
〃But he's alive； I tell you！ He ain't dead！ He ain't never been
dead！ Oh； my crimus！ 。 。 。 Hey； Cap'n Lote！ HE'S ALIVE！〃
Captain Zelotes was standing in the doorway of the private office。
The noise had aroused him from his letter writing。
〃Who's alive？ What's the matter with you this time； Is？〃 he
demanded。
〃Shut up； Issy；〃 ordered Laban； seizing the frantic Mr。 Price by
the collar。 〃Be still！ Wait a minute。〃
〃Be still？ What do I want to be still for？ I cal'late Cap'n
Lote'll holler some； too； when he hears。 He's alive； Cap'n Lote； I
tell ye。 Let go of me； Labe Keeler！ He's alive！〃
〃Who's alive？ What is it？ Labe； YOU answer me。 Who's alive？〃
Laban's thoughts were still in a whirl。 He was still shaking from
the news the telegraph operator had brought。 Rachel Ellis was at
that moment in his mind and he answered as she might have done。
〃ErerRobert Penfold；〃 he said。
〃Robert PENFOLD！ What〃
Issachar could hold in no longer。
〃Robert Penfold nawthin'！〃 he shouted。 〃Who in thunder's he？
'Tain't Robert Penfold nor Robert Penholder neither。 It's Al
Speranza； that's who 'tis。 He ain't killed； Cap'n Lote。 He's
alive and he's been alive all the time。〃
Kelley stepped forward。
〃Looks as if 'twas so； Cap'n Snow；〃 he said。 〃Here's the telegram
from the Red Cross。〃
CHAPTER XV
There was nothing miraculous about it。 That is to say； it was no
more of a miracle than hundreds of similar cases in the World War。
The papers of those years were constantly printing stories of men
over whose supposed graves funeral sermons had been preached； to
whose heirs insurance payments had been made； in whose memory
grateful communities had made speeches and delivered eulogiums
the papers were telling of instance after instance of those men
being discovered alive and in the flesh； as casuals in some French
hospital or as inmates of German prison camps。
Rachel Ellis had asked what was to hinder Albert's having been
taken prisoner by the Germans and carried off by them。 As a matter
of fact nothing had hindered and that was exactly what had
happened。 Sergeant Speranza； wounded by machine gun fire and again
by the explosion of the grenade； was found in the ruins of the
cottage when the detachment of the enemy captured it。 He was
conscious and able to speak； so instead of being bayonetted was
carried to the rear where he might be questioned concerning the
American forces。 The questioning was most unsatisfactory to the
Prussian officers who conducted it。 Albert fainted； recovered
consciousness and fainted again。 So at last the Yankee swine was
left to die or get well and his Prussian interrogators went about
other business； the business of escaping capture themselves。 But
when they retreated the few prisoners； mostly wounded men； were
taken with them。
Albert's recollections of the next few days were hazy and very
doubtful。 Pain； pain and more pain。 Hours and hoursthey seemed
like yearsof jolting over rough roads。 Pawing…over by a fat；
bearded surgeon； who may not have been intentionally brutal； but
quite as likely may。 A great desire to die； punctuated by
occasional feeble spurts of wishing to live。 Then more surgical
man…handling； more joltingin freight cars this timea slow；
miserable recovery； nurses who hated their patients and treated
them as if they did； then； a prison camp； a German prison camp。
Then horrors and starvation and brutality lasting many months。
Then fever。
He was wandering in that misty land between this world and the next
when； the armistice having been signed； an American Red Cross
representative found him。 In the interval between fits of delirium
he told this man his name and regiment and； later； the name of his
grandparents。 When it seemed sure that he was to recover the Red
Cross representative cabled the facts to this country。 And； still
later； those facts； or the all…important fact that Sergeant Albert
M。 C。 Speranza was not dead but alive； came by telegraph to Captain
Zelotes Snow of South Harniss。 And； two months after that； Captain
Zelotes himself； standing on the wharf in Boston and peering up at
a crowded deck above him； saw the face of his grandson； that face
which he had never expected to see again； looking eagerly down upon
him。
A few more weeks and it was o