Year: 1866




where 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 cold, across the bit of
open country.


A friendly hand was laid on his shoul-
der as he turned away, and a friendly
voice said, +" Goodnight, comrade. God
give you happy homecoming" Then
the hand was gone from his shoulder, the
train dashed on and the soldier struck out
cheerfully across the fields, steering
straight for the light which still glowed
steadily 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 l shall
find them all up. Dear Coralie what
will she say, wonder"


No shadow of doubt or fear dimmed
the eager joy of anticipation no thought
Of change, and yet two years is such a
long, long time. This was his home he
was coming to, his and Coralie's, and Cor
allie loved him. 1t was CoraIie he thought
Of, always Coralie.


How familiar the old gate looked, and
the bars beyond He would not 60 in
that way though; the gate used to creak,
he remembered, and he wanted to sur
prise them wanted, too, to get one look
at them all before he made his presence
known. The shades were up and the
light shone full in his eyes as he approach
ed the window, 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 and FURNISHED stove, and the
pictures on the walls. A little boy sat
with book and slate beside the lamp
That was Eddie, studious Eddie, and the
pink-cheeked child who leaned on his
knee was the baby Floy. A young wo-
man sat in a rocking chair before the
stove with Coralie's face and smile, and
Coralie's band of dark hair.
But who was the man beside Ler, who
held her hand in such confident, lover
like way, and even bent down and kissed
her, right there in the broad light, before
the children, before the very eyes of the
husband whose presence none of them
suspected? In Gods name what did il
mean?


Mark Ryder's hand clenched as he took
one step towards the door, but stopped as
a voice thrilled to his heart, as it had
done so many times before, saying, Come
Floy, Eddie, its time that little folks were
in bed"


The younger came obediently, and the
man standing outside saw this other man
catch her ont of the mothers arms and
swing her high above his head, while the
little one laughed and shouted in glee, and
Coralie said pleadingly, Please don't,
husband; it makes me afraid to see you
throw her up so."


Husband


The mystery was growing clearer now.


The moonlight fell upon white con-
vulsed 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, curiously enough,
REQUIRED TO his mind now" God give
you happy homecoming"


He uttered no syllable of reproach, on
ly the words that were almost a cry, Oh
Coralie! Coralie'


As if in answer she turned towards the
window, but the figure that had stood
there was gone now.


Even in this moment of bewiderment
and torture, the wronged husband saw
clearly how wrong had been done. He
had been reported dead, and Coralie, q
timid dependent woman always, had mar
ried again. She had been married many
months-his eyes told him that-and he
could not bring shame and disgrace on
, her. Another train would pass in two
, hours. He would take it and 60 far
f away, back to the army perhaps, any
. where, it did not matter, and she should
! never know but that it was really SO. Il
, would be best so.


OH Coralie, if you had only known
: whose eyes looked upon you that night
a whose unselish heart was planning fol
E you, placing your future peace and well
? being before his own craving hunger fol
: home, happiness. and children's lovcl
G When Mark Ryder glanced again TO
q wards the window, the strange man hal
: moved aside, out of his range of vision