he 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 I can 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 summo