. The tying, or lacing of these skeins, had
been Pierre's work. The skeins after being laced were then bundled, or
packed tightly, to be sent to the dye-house. This finished the work of
the throwing mills and Pierre was interested to see that the process was
practically the same in America as in France.

But from the time the dyed silk came back to the weaving mills
everything was new. The weaving of broad goods such as dress materials,
mufflers, handkerchiefs, and necktie silks took place on the broad
looms; while narrow goods such as ribbons were woven on the narrow
looms. It was a long time, alas, ere Pierre came to understand the
complex weaving machinery; and before he half comprehended it a most
unexpected happening befell the Bretton family.

It was heralded by a letter from far-away Bellerivre--a letter from
Monsieur le Cure; and before the amazing tidings in the missive could be
assimilated another letter--a feeble scrawl--followed.

Monsieur Bretton lived!

The beloved father they had given up as lost was actually alive!

He had been wounded, captured, and kept a prisoner in a hostile camp
from which it was impossible to communicate with his family. As soon as
he was able he had been forced to work for his captors, and there he had
remained cut off from all knowledge of his family or friends. By and by
he had succeeded in escaping and reaching his own lines, only to be shot
down in the next battle in which he had taken part. Then had followed a
long illness in a French hospital where under the care of the kind
sisters he had hovered 'twixt life and death. There had been no letters
home because he had been too delirious to tell his nurses where to
write. At length out of the chaos had come sanity, and now because his
wounds were such that he could do no more fighting he had come home to
Bellerivre. Monsieur le Cure and Josef were nursing him, and he hoped to
join his dear ones in their new home as soon as he was able.

It was a wonderful story!

Some day, the doctor said, he would regain his strength and be well
enough to do some simple work so that he could still earn a livelihood
and not be a burden to his family.

How good the tidings were! How almost unbelievable!

Over and over again the jubilant Brettons rehearsed the tale and framed
new plans for the future. It took all Madame Bretton's resistance not to
draw from the bank the treasured nest-egg still reposing there and go
home to France to nur