第100章

In those drawers were so many things, things which he had kept there, either deliberately or because he was too indolent to destroy them.Old dance cards, invitations, and a bundle of photographs, snapshots.He removed the rubber band from the bundle and stood looking them over.Photographs of school fellows, of picnic groups, of girls.Sam Thatcher, Gertie Kendrick--and Helen Kendall.There were at least a dozen of Helen.

One in particular was very good.From that photograph the face of Helen as he had known it four years before looked straight up into his--clear-eyed, honest, a hint of humor and understanding and common-sense in the gaze and at the corners of the lips.He looked at the photograph, and the photograph looked up at him.He had not seen her for so long a time.He wondered if the war had changed her as it had changed him.Somehow he hoped it had not.Change did not seem necessary in her case.

There had been no correspondence between them since her letter written when she heard of his enlistment.He had not replied to that because he knew Madeline would not wish him to do so.He wondered if she ever thought of him now, if she remembered their adventure at High Point light.He had thought of her often enough.

In those days and nights of horror in the prison camp and hospital he had found a little relief, a little solace in lying with closed eyes and summoning back from memory the things of home and the faces of home.And her face had been one of these.Her face and those of his grandparents and Rachel and Laban, and visions of the old house and the rooms--they were the substantial things to cling to and he had clung to them.They WERE home.Madeline--ah! yes, he had longed for her and dreamed of her, God knew, but Madeline, of course, was different.

He snapped the rubber band once more about the bundle of photographs, closed the drawer and prepared for bed.

For the two weeks following his return home he had a thoroughly good time.It was a tremendous comfort to get up when he pleased, to eat the things he liked, to do much or little or nothing at his own sweet will.He walked a good deal, tramping along the beach in the blustering wind and chilly sunshine and enjoying every breath of the clean salt air.He thought much during those solitary walks, and at times, at home in the evenings, he would fall to musing and sit silent for long periods.His grandmother was troubled.

"Don't it seem to you, Zelotes," she asked her husband, "as if Albert was kind of discontented or unsatisfied these days? He's so--so sort of fidgety.Talks like the very mischief for ten minutes and then don't speak for half an hour.Sits still for a long stretch and then jumps up and starts off walkin' as if he was crazy.What makes him act so? He's kind of changed from what he used to be.Don't you think so?"The captain patted her shoulder."Don't worry, Mother," he said.

"Al's older than he was and what he's been through has made him older still.As for the fidgety part of it, the settin' down and jumpin' up and all that, that's the way they all act, so far as Ican learn.Elisha Warren, over to South Denboro, tells me his nephew has been that way ever since he got back.Don't fret, Mother, Al will come round all right.""I didn't know but he might be anxious to see--to see her, you know.""Her? Oh, you mean the Fosdick girl.Well, he'll be goin' to see her pretty soon, I presume likely.They're due back in New York 'most any time now, I believe....Oh, hum! Why in time couldn't he--""Couldn't he what, Zelotes?"

"Oh, nothin', nothin'."

The summons came only a day after this conversation.It came in the form of another letter from Madeline and one from Mrs.Fosdick.

They were, so the latter wrote, back once more in their city home, her nerves, thank Heaven, were quite strong again, and they were expecting him, Albert, to come on at once."We are all dying to see you," wrote Mrs.Fosdick."And poor, dear Madeline, of course, is counting the moments.""Stay as long as you feel like, Al," said the captain, when told of the proposed visit."It's the dull season at the office, anyhow, and Labe and I can get along first-rate, with Issy to superintend.

Stay as long as you want to, only--"

"Only what, Grandfather?"

"Only don't want to stay too long.That is, don't fall in love with New York so hard that you forget there is such a place as South Harniss."Albert smiled."I've been in places farther away than New York,"he said, "and I never forgot South Harniss.""Um-hm....Well, I shouldn't be surprised if that was so.But you'll have better company in New York than you did in some of those places.Give my regards to Fosdick.So-long, Al."