Year: 1866

in it as he said, still keeping fast hold
of the friendly hand, still looking into
the kindly eyes, dts three years since
| saw my family, two since | heard
from them. I have been a prisoner
eighteen months at Salisbury"


When a story was outlined in these
few words-only outlined, the details
will never be known till the great day
of remembrance, when the secrets of
all prison houses shall be revealed,
and the black record of Southern
cruelty be shown up to the gaze of
angels and men. Eighteen months
They had done the work of eighteen
years on the once powerful frame of
this man whose whole heart seemed
ceptered now on the one thought of
going home.


Home! Who can tell how blessed
memories of it has steadied the SOL
dier's brain and kept him from mad
ness during those days, and weeks,
and months of lingering torment, when
hope and courage and manly fOrtitude
alike gave way before the horrors of
the situation, and brave men who
have looked death in the face many a
time without 5lanching, shrank now
when it came in the form of a slow
starvation. But they had lived through
it-some of them-this Mark Ryder
among the rest.


He stood now on the platform of
the car as the train stopped along
side low rooted dingy little build
ing, dignified by the name of a station.
The station master stood there. his
lamp in hand, and beside him a man
and a boy waiting to get on the train,
The man did not glance once at them,
nor at the twinkling light from a
group Of a dozen houses on a hillside
near at hand, though he had many
/ friends there when he went away.
He was looking off across the bare
fields to where a single light cleaned
as a star.


"Coralie's up yet, Like enough
she's thinking of me this minute, .
voice and hand both trembled with
excitement as he turned up the collar
of his Overcoat for protection against
the wind that came sweeping, bitterly
across the open country.


/ A friendly hand was laid on his
shoulder as he turned away, and a
friendly voice said, "Good-night, com
rad. God give you happy home
coming" Then the hand was gone
from his shoulder, the train dashed
on and the soldier struck out cheer
fully across the felds,steering straight
for the light which still glowed stead
lily in the distance. The air was still
biting cold, but he did not feel it
How should he when his heart was
aglow?


It's early yet, hardly eight.
shall find them all up, Dear Cor
allie what will she say, | wonder.


No shadow OF doubt or fear dim
med the eager joy OF anticipation; nc
thought of change, and yet two years
is such long, long time. This was


his home he was coming to, his anC


Coralie's, and Coralie loved him. i


was Coralie he thought OF, alWay.


Coralie.


How familiar the old gate looked


and the bars beyond. He would no


90 in that way though; the gate useC


to creak, he remembered, and b,


wanted to surprise them-wanted
too, to get one look at them all before
he made his presence known. The
shades were up and the light shon,


full in his eyes as he approached TIN
window, stepping lightly that no foot
fall might betray him, Nearer ant
nearer till he stood close to the sill
What a pleasant room it was, wit
its pretty carpet and FURNISHED stove
and the pictures on the walls. A lii
tie boy sat with book and slate besid
the lamp. That was Eddie, studiou
l Eddie, and the pink-cheeked chill


who leaned on his knee was the bah,
= Floy. A young woman sat in rock
| ING chair before the stove with Coz
allies face and smile, and Coralie'
band of dark hair.


| But who was the man beside he
: who held her hand in such a cont
dent, loverlike way, and even ben


down and kis sed her, righ
| there in the broad light, before tn
: children, before the very eyes of til
S husband whose presence none of thel
f suspected? In Gods name what di
e it mean?


S Mark Ryder's hand clenched as h
/ took one step towards the door, bl
0 stopped as voice thrilled to HI


heart, as it had done SO many time
7, before, saying, Come Floy, Eddi
/ it's time that little folks were
S bed"


h The youngest came obediently, an
e the man standing outside saw tn
e other man catch her out of the mot


ers arms and swing her high aboN
l. his head, while the little one laughe


and shouted in glee, and Coralie sa


pleadingly, please don't, husband
W it makes me afraid to see you thro
l. her up SO"


ut Husband


I'd The mystery was growing clear
ed now.


e. The moonlight fell upon a viii
ne conyulsed face, and the angels, seei
W it, must have pitied the man. The
or was none other to pity; no kind
e- human face or voice, only the rene


brance of the conductors face viii
is stayed by him somehow, and
us words that, curiously enough, recl
he red to his mind now-"God give y
ed a happy Homecoming"


He uttered no syllable of reproat