it?" and Tom's voice was
hoarse and tremulous. "Can you forgive me? I chucked Polly Powell
long ago, and I let her know it yesterday when I came home. She met me
at the station with the others, and I never knew what a fool I had been
till I saw her just as she was. Ay, I must have been mad!"

"I heard all about it," replied the girl, "but it didn't need that to
tell me that you would come back to me, Tom."

"Ay," said Tom, "but I feel so ashamed. I feel as though I have
nothing to offer you. I am only a poor Tommy with a bob a day, but
will you wait for me, Alice, till the war is over?--and then if God
spares my life I will work for you night and day, and I will give you
as good a home as there is in Brunford."

"I can't help waiting for you," sobbed Alice.

"Can't help! Why?" asked Tom.

"Because--because---- oh, you know."

It was not until an hour later that Tom and Alice appeared at George
Lister's house. During that time Tom had told Alice the story of his
life since he had parted from her. Told her of the influences which
had been at work, how he had been led to pray, and how his heart had
all the time been longing for her. In spite of Alice's repeated
questions he had said very little about his hour of peril, when he had
risked his life to serve his country; that seemed of little importance
to him. His one thought was to make Alice know that he was ashamed of
himself for leaving her, and that he loved her all the time.

"Ay," said George Lister to his wife when Tom had left the house, "our
Alice is a fool."

"'Appen she is," replied Mrs. Lister, "but yon's a grand lad, a fair
grand lad!"

"He may be a grand lad," retorted her husband, "and I don't deny that
he has behaved vary weel, but how can he keep a wife? What sort of a
home can he give our Alice?"

"A lad that can do what he has done," replied Mrs. Lister, "will make
his way anywhere. If God spares his life, he will come back when the
war's over, and you will not have any reason to be ashamed of him. He
is not earning any brass now, and that's right, for he's serving his
King and Country, and doing his duty like a man; but wait till we have
licked the Germans, then Tom will let you know."

"I don't deny that he's a sharp, capable lad," said George, "and it's
easy to see that our Alice is fair gone on him. That's why she had
nowt to do wi' the young parson, and wi' Harry Briarfield. Well, I
want Alice to be happy, and marriage