the portygee-第58节

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alas；　the　casualty　lists　on　the　inside　pages　long　and　longer。　　Then
October。　　The　armistice　was　signed。　　It　was　the　end。　　The　Allied
world　went　wild；　cheered；　danced；　celebrated。　　Then　it　sat　back；
thinking；　thanking　God；　solemnly　trying　to　realize　that　the　killing
days；　the　frightful　days　of　waiting　and　awful　anxiety；　were　over。

And　early　in　November　another　telegram　came　to　the　office　of　Z。
Snow　and　Co。　　This　time　it　came；　not　from　the　War　Department
direct；　but　from　the　Boston　headquarters　of　the　American　Red　Cross。

And　this　time；　just　as　on　the　day　when　the　other　fateful　telegram
came；　Laban　Keeler　was　the　first　of　the　office　regulars　to　learn
its　contents。　　Ben　Kelley　himself　brought　this　message；　just　as　he
had　brought　that　telling　of　Albert　Speranza's　death。　　And　the
usually　stolid　Ben　was　greatly　excited。　　He　strode　straight　from
the　door　to　the　bookkeeper's　desk。

〃Is　the　old　man　in；　Labe？〃　he　whispered；　jerking　his　head　toward
the　private　office；　the　door　of　which　happened　to　be　shut。

Laban　looked　at　him　over　his　spectacles。　　〃Cap'n　Lote；　you　mean？〃
he　asked。　　〃Yes；　he's　in。　　But　he　don't　want　to　be　disturbedno；
no。　　Goin'　to　write　a　couple　of　important　letters；　he　said。
Important　ones。　。　。　。　　Um…hm。　　What　is　it；　Ben？　　Anything　I　can　do
for　you？〃

Kelley　did　not　answer　that　question。　　Instead　he　took　a　telegram
from　his　pocket。

〃Read　it；　Labe；〃　he　whispered。　　〃Read　it。　　It's　the　darndest　news
thethe　darnedest　good　news　ever　you　heard　in　your　life。　　It　don't
seem　as　if　it　could　he；　but；　by　time；　I　guess　'tis。　　Anyhow；　it's
from　the　Red　Cross　folks　and　they'd　ought　to　know。〃

Laban　stared　at　the　telegram。　　It　was　not　in　the　usual　envelope；
Kelley　had　been　too　anxious　to　bring　it　to　its　destination　to
bother　with　an　envelope。

〃Read　it；〃　commanded　the　operator　again。　　〃See　if　you　think　Cap'n
Lote　ought　to　have　it　broke　easy　to　him　oror　what？　　Read　it；　I
tell　you。　　Lord　sakes；　it's　no　secret！　　I　hollered　it　right　out
loud　when　it　come　in　over　the　wire　and　the　gang　at　the　depot　heard
it。　　They　know　it　and　it'll　be　all　over　town　in　ten　minutes。　　READ
IT。〃

Keeler　read　the　telegram。　　His　florid　cheeks　turned　pale。

〃Good　Lord　above！〃　he　exclaimed；　under　his　breath。

〃Eh？　　I　bet　you！　　Shall　I　take　it　to　the　cap'n？　　Eh？　　What　do　you
think？〃

〃Wait。　。　。　。　　Wait　。　。　。　　II　　My　soul！　　My　soul！　　Why　。　。　。
It'sit's　true。　。　。　。　　And　Rachel　always　said　。　。　。　　Why；　she　was
right　。　。　。　I　。　。　。〃

From　without　came　the　sound　of　running　feet　and　a　series　of　yells。

〃Labe！　　Labe！〃　shrieked　Issy。　　〃Oh；　my　crimus！　。　。　。　　Labe！〃

He　burst　into　the　office；　his　eyes　and　mouth　wide　open　and　his
hands　waving　wildly。

〃Labe！　　Labe！〃　he　shouted　again。　　〃Have　you　heard　it？　　Have　you？
It's　true；　too。　　He's　alive！　　He's　alive！　　He's　alive！〃

Laban　sprang　from　his　stool。　　〃Shut　up；　Is！〃　he　commanded。　　〃Shut
up！　　Hold　on！　　Don't〃

〃But　he's　alive；　I　tell　you！　　He　ain't　dead！　　He　ain't　never　been
dead！　　Oh；　my　crimus！　。　。　。　　Hey；　Cap'n　Lote！　　HE'S　ALIVE！〃

Captain　Zelotes　was　standing　in　the　doorway　of　the　private　office。
The　noise　had　aroused　him　from　his　letter　writing。

〃Who's　alive？　　What's　the　matter　with　you　this　time；　Is？〃　he
demanded。

〃Shut　up；　Issy；〃　ordered　Laban；　seizing　the　frantic　Mr。　Price　by
the　collar。　　〃Be　still！　　Wait　a　minute。〃

〃Be　still？　　What　do　I　want　to　be　still　for？　　I　cal'late　Cap'n
Lote'll　holler　some；　too；　when　he　hears。　　He's　alive；　Cap'n　Lote；　I
tell　ye。　　Let　go　of　me；　Labe　Keeler！　　He's　alive！〃

〃Who's　alive？　　What　is　it？　　Labe；　YOU　answer　me。　　Who's　alive？〃

Laban's　thoughts　were　still　in　a　whirl。　　He　was　still　shaking　from
the　news　the　telegraph　operator　had　brought。　　Rachel　Ellis　was　at
that　moment　in　his　mind　and　he　answered　as　she　might　have　done。

〃ErerRobert　Penfold；〃　he　said。

〃Robert　PENFOLD！　　What〃

Issachar　could　hold　in　no　longer。

〃Robert　Penfold　nawthin'！〃　he　shouted。　　〃Who　in　thunder's　he？
'Tain't　Robert　Penfold　nor　Robert　Penholder　neither。　　It's　Al
Speranza；　that's　who　'tis。　　He　ain't　killed；　Cap'n　Lote。　　He's
alive　and　he's　been　alive　all　the　time。〃

Kelley　stepped　forward。

〃Looks　as　if　'twas　so；　Cap'n　Snow；〃　he　said。　　〃Here's　the　telegram
from　the　Red　Cross。〃



CHAPTER　XV


There　was　nothing　miraculous　about　it。　　That　is　to　say；　it　was　no
more　of　a　miracle　than　hundreds　of　similar　cases　in　the　World　War。
The　papers　of　those　years　were　constantly　printing　stories　of　men
over　whose　supposed　graves　funeral　sermons　had　been　preached；　to
whose　heirs　insurance　payments　had　been　made；　in　whose　memory
grateful　communities　had　made　speeches　and　delivered　eulogiums
the　papers　were　telling　of　instance　after　instance　of　those　men
being　discovered　alive　and　in　the　flesh；　as　casuals　in　some　French
hospital　or　as　inmates　of　German　prison　camps。

Rachel　Ellis　had　asked　what　was　to　hinder　Albert's　having　been
taken　prisoner　by　the　Germans　and　carried　off　by　them。　　As　a　matter
of　fact　nothing　had　hindered　and　that　was　exactly　what　had
happened。　　Sergeant　Speranza；　wounded　by　machine　gun　fire　and　again
by　the　explosion　of　the　grenade；　was　found　in　the　ruins　of　the
cottage　when　the　detachment　of　the　enemy　captured　it。　　He　was
conscious　and　able　to　speak；　so　instead　of　being　bayonetted　was
carried　to　the　rear　where　he　might　be　questioned　concerning　the
American　forces。　　The　questioning　was　most　unsatisfactory　to　the
Prussian　officers　who　conducted　it。　　Albert　fainted；　recovered
consciousness　and　fainted　again。　　So　at　last　the　Yankee　swine　was
left　to　die　or　get　well　and　his　Prussian　interrogators　went　about
other　business；　the　business　of　escaping　capture　themselves。　　But
when　they　retreated　the　few　prisoners；　mostly　wounded　men；　were
taken　with　them。

Albert's　recollections　of　the　next　few　days　were　hazy　and　very
doubtful。　　Pain；　pain　and　more　pain。　　Hours　and　hoursthey　seemed
like　yearsof　jolting　over　rough　roads。　　Pawing…over　by　a　fat；
bearded　surgeon；　who　may　not　have　been　intentionally　brutal；　but
quite　as　likely　may。　　A　great　desire　to　die；　punctuated　by
occasional　feeble　spurts　of　wishing　to　live。　　Then　more　surgical
man…handling；　more　joltingin　freight　cars　this　timea　slow；
miserable　recovery；　nurses　who　hated　their　patients　and　treated
them　as　if　they　did；　then；　a　prison　camp；　a　German　prison　camp。
Then　horrors　and　starvation　and　brutality　lasting　many　months。
Then　fever。

He　was　wandering　in　that　misty　land　between　this　world　and　the　next
when；　the　armistice　having　been　signed；　an　American　Red　Cross
representative　found　him。　　In　the　interval　between　fits　of　delirium
he　told　this　man　his　name　and　regiment　and；　later；　the　name　of　his
grandparents。　　When　it　seemed　sure　that　he　was　to　recover　the　Red
Cross　representative　cabled　the　facts　to　this　country。　　And；　still
later；　those　facts；　or　the　all…important　fact　that　Sergeant　Albert
M。　C。　Speranza　was　not　dead　but　alive；　came　by　telegraph　to　Captain
Zelotes　Snow　of　South　Harniss。　　And；　two　months　after　that；　Captain
Zelotes　himself；　standing　on　the　wharf　in　Boston　and　peering　up　at
a　crowded　deck　above　him；　saw　the　face　of　his　grandson；　that　face
which　he　had　never　expected　to　see　again；　looking　eagerly　down　upon
him。

A　few　more　weeks　and　it　was　over。　　The　brief　interval　of　camp　life
and　the　mustering　out　were　things　of　the　past。　　Captain　Lote　and
Albert；　seated　in　the　train；　were　on　their　way　down　the　Cape；　bound
home。　　Home！　　The　word　had　a　significance　now　which　it　never　had
before。　　Home！

Albert　drew　a　long　breath。　　〃By　George！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃By　George；
Grandfather；　this　looks　good　to　me！〃

It　might　not　have　looked　as　good　to　another　person。　　It　was
raining；　the　long　stretches　of　salt　marsh　were　windswept　and　brown
and　bleak。　　In　the　distance　Cape　Cod　Bay　showed　gray　and　white
against　a　leaden　sky。　　The　drops　ran　down　the　dingy　car　windows。

Captain　Zelotes　understood；　however。　　He　nodded。

〃It　used　to　look　good　to　me　when　I　was　bound　home　after　a　v'yage；〃
he　observed。　　〃Well；　son；　I　cal'late　your　grandma　and　Rachel　are　up
to　the　depot　by　this　time　waitin'　for　you。　　We　ain't　due　for　pretty
nigh　an　hour　yet；　but　I'd　be　willin'　to　bet　they're　there。〃

Albert　smiled。　　〃My；　I　do　want　to　see　them！〃　he　said。

〃Shouldn't　wonder　a　mite　if　they　wanted　to　see　you；　boy。　　Well；　I'm
kind　of　glad　I　shooed　that　reception　committee　out　of　the　way。　　I
presumed　likely　you'd　rather　have　your　first　day　home　to　yourself
and　us。〃

〃I　should　say　so！　　Newspaper　reporters　are　a　lot　of　mighty　good
fellows；　but　I　hope　I　never　see　another　one。　。　。　。　　That's　rather
ungrateful；　I　know；〃　he　added；　with　a　smile；　〃but　I　mean　itjust
now。〃

He　had　some　excuse　for　meaning　it。　　The　death　of　Albert　Speranza；
poet　and　warrior；　had　made　a　newspaper　sensation。　　His　resurrection
and　return　furnished　material　for　another。　　Captain　Zelotes　was　not
the　only　person　to　meet　the　transport　at　the　pier；　a　delegation　of
reporters　was　there　also。　　Photographs　of　Sergeant　Speranza
appeared　once　more　in　print。　　This　time；　however；　they　were
snapshots　showing　him　in　uniform；　likenesses　of　a　still　handsome；
but　less　boyish　young　man；　thinner；　a　scar　upon　his　right　cheek；
and　the　look　in　his　eyes　more　serious；　and　infinite