the good common odour of cooking
supper. So we stopped at the gate of the printing-office, and looked at
each other, and felt abashed, did not know quite what to say, and were
about to part awkwardly without saying anything when Nort seized me
suddenly by the arm and rushed me into the office.

"Hello, Fergus!" he shouted as we came in at the door.

Fergus stood looking at him impassively, saying nothing at all. He had
compromised himself once before that day by giving way to his emotions,
and did not propose to be stampeded a second time.

But the old Captain had no such compunctions, and almost fell on Nort's
neck.

"The prodigal is returned," he declared. "Nort, my boy, I want to read
you my editorial on Theodore Roosevelt."

Just at this moment Ed Smith came in. I wondered and trembled at what
might happen, but Nort was in his grandest mood.

"Hello, Ed!" he remarked carelessly. "Say, I've thought of an idea for
making Tole, the druggist, advertise in the _Star_."

"You have?" responded Ed in a reasonably natural voice.

Thus we were rebundled, at least temporarily. I think of these events as
a sort of diplomatic prelude for the real war which was to follow. I was
the diplomat who lured Nort back to us with fine words, but old General
Fergus was waiting there grimly at the cases, in full preparedness, to
play his part. For this was not the final struggle, nor the most
necessary for Nort. That was reserved for a simpler man than I am: that
was left for Fergus.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XV

I GET BETTER ACQUAINTED WITH ANTHY

As we look backward, those times in our lives which glow brightest, seem
most worth while, are by no means those in which we have been happiest
or most successful, but rather those in which, though painful and even
sorrowful, we have been most necessary, most _desired_. To be needed in
other human lives--is there anything greater or more beautiful in this
world?

It was in the weeks that followed upon these events that I came to know
Anthy best, nearest, deepest--to be of most use to her and to the
_Star_. A strange thing it was, too; for the nearer I came to her, the
farther away I seemed to find myself! She was very wonderful that
winter. I saw her grow, strengthen, deepen, under that test of the
spirit, and with a curious unconsciousness of her own development, as
she shows in the one letter to Lincoln of that period which has been
saved. She seemed to think it was all