last half-year, Old Peter's face and form had been
undergoing a change. Not since that terrible winter night when he had
almost caused the death of his best friend had he fallen. It had been
a hard fight sometimes, but the great victory won by the temperance
folk on New Year's Day had been a victory for Peter. On the first of
May the bar-rooms of Algonquin had closed. And now Peter walked the
streets unafraid. And with his new courage and hope, his manhood had
returned and he was slowly and surely growing like the man whose
life-long devotion had brought him salvation.

Doctor Blair saw them and came swinging up to make the old men welcome.
Then Doctor Leslie sighted them and came forward in delighted
amazement, and Captain Jimmie spied them from the wheel house and
called out joyfully, "Hoots, toots, Angus! And is that you, Peter
Lad?" And the Ancient Mariner left off smoking, and, pouring out a
stream of Gaelic above the roar of the pipes, came right out on the
wharf to make sure his eyes had not deceived him.

Roderick guided the two to seats up on the deck near to the captain's
pilot house, finding the way thither a veritable triumphal procession.

The crowds were still coming down Main Street; nervous mothers with
babies bouncing wildly in their little buggies, embarrassed fathers
with great sagging baskets and hysterical children with their newly
starched attire already wildly rumpled.

Roderick scanned each new group eagerly, wondering if Helen Murray
would come. He had seen little of her since his return. A long
illness following the critical operation had kept him at home, and when
at last he was able to go out again and take up his work he found that
gossip had it that Miss Murray, the pretty girl who taught in the East
Ward school had had a young man to visit her. Miss Annabel had been
quite excited over him, for he was very handsome and was a successful
surgeon, and Miss Armstrong had pronounced him a splendid match for any
girl. Roderick had been spared a visit from Dick Wells, and had
wondered that the young man had not kept his promise. He had longed
and yet dreaded to see him. He had been able to learn nothing about
the visit except what gossip said, and to-day he was full of hope and
fear, as he watched. His fears were stronger, but he was young and he
could not keep from hoping.

The _Inverness_, as every one in Algonquin knew, gave ample warning of
her leave-taking. At exactly half