Year: 1865

voice said, "Good night, comrade. Go


give you happy home coming" The
e the hand was gone from his shoulder, tn
), train dashed on, and the soldier struc
, out cheerfully across the fields, steerin
straight for the light which glowed stead
7 lily in the distance. The air was still bi
T ting cold, but he did not feel it. Ho,
| should he when. his heart was a-glow
'lt's early yet-hardly eight. l shal
7 find them all up. Dear Christie wha
will she say l wondor"


No shadow of doubt or fear dimmet
the eager JOY of anticipation no though
OF change. And yet two years is such
long time. This was his home he wa


coming to-his and Christie 's-and Chris


tie loved him. 1t was Christie he though
of, always Christie.


How familiar the old gate looked, and
the bars beyond. He would not 90 in
that way, though the gate used to creak
he remembered, and he wanted to sur.
prise them-wanted to surprise them
wanted, too, to get one look at them all
before he made his presence known
The blinds were up, and the light shone
full in his eyes as he approached the win
dow, stepping lightly that no football
might betray him. Nearer and nearer
till he stood close to the sill


What a pleasant room it was with its
pretty carpet aud FURNISHED stove and
the pictures on the walls A little boy
sat with his book and slate beside the
lamp. That was Eddie, studious Eddie,
and the pink checked child who leaned
on his knee was baby Flow. A woman
sat in rocking chair before the stove
a fair young woman with Christe's face
aud smile, and Chrstie's band Of dark
hair.


But who was the man beside her, who
held her hand in such confident, lover
ike way, and even bent down to kiss her.
right there in the broad light, before the
children, before the very eyes of the hus-
band whose presence none of them sus-
pected? ID Gods name what did it
mean


Mark Ryder clenched his hand and
took step nearer the door, but stopped
as a voice that thrilled to his heart, as it
had done SO often before, said, Come
tlOy, Eddie, it's time for little folks to 90
to bed" The younger child came obedi
ently y, and the man standing outside saw
this other man catch her out of the moth
er's and swing her high above his head,
while the little one laughed and shouted in
glee, and Christie said pleadingly. please
don't, husband, it makes me afraid to see
you throw her up so. y


Husband !


The mystery was growing clear now


The moonlight fell on a white convuls
ed face, and the angels seeing it, must
have pitied the man. There was none
other to pity; no kindly human face or
voice, only the remembrance of the con-
ductor's face which stayed by him some
how, and the words that curously enough
recurred to his mind now, ''God give you
happy home coming" He uttered no
syllable of reproach, only the words that
were almost cry. "Oh, Christie =
Christie p


Even at this moment of bewilderment
and torture the wronged husband saw
clearl y how the wrong had been done
He bad been reported dead, and Christie,
timid, dependent woman always, had
married again. She had been married
many months-his eyes told him that
and be could not bring shame aud disgrace
on her. Another train would pass IN two
hours. He would take it and go far a.
way, back to the army, perhaps, anywhere,
it did not matter, and she should never
know but that he was really dead. 1t
be would best so.


Oh, Christie if you had only known
whose eyes looked upon you that night
Whose uuselGsh heart was planning for
you, placing your future peace and we'll
being before his own craving hunger for
home-happiuess and children's love.


When Mark Ryder glanced again tow
ards the window, the strange man had
moved aside, out of his range of vision,
and be saw only Christie sitting there
with her child in her lap, while Ed
die leaned on the arm of the chair
Home, and wife, aud children--all
that he had hoped and prayed for
through three years OF absence ana elSn-
teen months of captivity-before his eyes,
within his reach at last think none
but God knew that was in the mans soul
then when he gave them all up and elec-
ted to become wanderer. One long
look at the dear faces should never see u.
gain this side OF heaven-then he turn
ed resolutely away.


He had his hand on the fence to get
over when a dog came out of kennel
near by growing savagely. "Bruno's
good fellow" Hearing his name in that
voice, the knew his master and sprang
up with "a quick, glad whine, licking the
hand that caressed his shaggy head and
the face that bent down close for an in
slant, as the man knelt on one knee up
on the frozen ground, his arms about the
dogs neck.


"You will see them all tomorrow, old
fellow-Christie, and Eddie, and baby
Floy-but | shall never see them again
until meet them up yonder. They'll


l 4 L.