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〃Well； Al？〃 he said； again。
Albert seemed to find it hard to speak。
〃Grandfather；〃 he began； 〃IIGrandfather； I have come to ask a
favor of you。〃
The captain nodded； slowly； his gaze fixed upon his grandson's
face。
〃All right； heave ahead；〃 he said quietly。
〃Grandfather； you and I have had a four years' agreement to work
together in this office。 It isn't up yet； butbut I want to break
it。 I want you to let me off。〃
〃Humph！ 。 。 。 Let you off； eh？ 。 。 。 What for？〃
〃That's what I came here to tell you。 Grandfather； I can't stay
herenow。 I want to enlist。〃
Captain Zelotes did not answer。 His hand moved upward and pulled
at his beard。
〃I want to enlist；〃 repeated Albert。 〃I can't stand it another
minute。 I must。 If it hadn't been for you and our promise and
and Madeline； I think I should have joined the Canadian Army a year
or more ago。 But now that we have gone into the war； I CAN'T stay
out。 Grandfather； you don't want me to； do you？ Of course you
don't。〃
His grandfather appeared to ponder。
〃If you can wait a spell；〃 he said slowly； 〃I might be able to fix
it so's you can get a chance for an officer's commission。 I'd
ought to have some pull somewheres； seems so。〃
Albert sniffed impatient disgust。 〃I don't want to get a
commissionin that way；〃 he declared。
〃Humph！ You'll find there's plenty that do； I shouldn't wonder。〃
〃Perhaps； but I'm not one of them。 And I don't care so much for a
commission； unless I can earn it。 And I don't want to stay here
and study for it。 I want to go now。 I want to get into the thing。
I don't want to wait。〃
Captain Lote leaned forward。 His gray eyes snapped。
〃Want to fight； do you？〃 he queried。
〃You bet I do！〃
〃All right； my boy； then goand fight。 I'd be ashamed of myself
if I held you back a minute。 Go and fightand fight hard。 I only
wish to God I was young enough to go with you。〃
CHAPTER XIII
And so； in this unexpected fashion； came prematurely the end of the
four year trial agreement between Albert Speranza and Z。 Snow and
Co。 Of course neither Captain Zelotes nor Albert admitted that it
had ended。 Each professed to regard the break as merely temporary。
〃You'll be back at that desk in a little while； Al；〃 said the
captain； 〃addin' up figgers and tormentin' Issy。〃 And Albert's
reply was invariably； 〃Why； of course； Grandfather。〃
He had dreaded his grandmother's reception of the news of his
intended enlistment。 Olive worshiped her daughter's boy and；
although an ardent patriot； was by no means as fiercely belligerent
as her husband。 She prayed each night for the defeat of the Hun；
whereas Captain Lote was for licking him first and praying
afterwards。 Albert feared a scene； he feared that she might be
prostrated when she learned that he was to go to war。 But she bore
it wonderfully well； and as for the dreaded 〃scene；〃 there was
none。
〃Zelotes says he thinks it's the right thing for you to do； Albert；〃
she said； 〃so I suppose I ought to think so； too。 But； oh； my dear；
DO you really feel that you must？ Iit don't seem as I could bear
to 。 。 。 but there； I mustn't talk so。 It ain't a mite harder for
me than it is for thousands of women all over this world。 。 。 。 And
perhaps the government folks won't take you； anyway。 Rachel said
she read in the Item about some young man over in Bayport who was
rejected because he had fat feet。 She meant flat feet； I suppose；
poor thing。 Oh； dear me； I'm laughin'； and it seems wicked to laugh
a time like this。 And when I think of you goin'； Albert； II 。 。 。
but there； I promised Zelotes I wouldn't。 。 。 。 And they MAY not
take you。 。 。 。 But oh； of course they will； of course they
will！ 。 。 。 I'm goin' to make you a chicken pie for dinner to…day；
I know how you like it。 。 。 。 If only they MIGHT reject you！ 。 。 。
But there； I said I wouldn't and I won't。〃
Rachel Ellis's opinion on the subject and her way of expressing
that opinion were distinctly her own。 Albert arose early in the
morning following the announcement of his decision to enter the
service。 He had not slept well； his mind was too busy with
problems and speculations to resign itself to sleep。 He had tossed
about until dawn and had then risen and sat down at the table in
his bedroom to write Madeline of the step he had determined to
take。 He had not written her while he was considering that step。
He felt； somehow； that he alone with no pressure from without
should make the decision。 Now that it was made； and irrevocably
made； she must of course be told。 Telling her； however； was not an
easy task。 He was sure she would agree that he had done the right
thing； the only thing； but
〃It is going to be very hard for you； dear；〃 he wrote； heedless of
the fact that Mrs。 Fosdick's censorious eye would see and condemn
the 〃dear。〃 〃It is going to be hard for both of us。 But I am sure
you will feel as I do that I COULDN'T do anything else。 I am young
and strong and fit and I am an American。 I MUST go。 You see it；
don't you； Madeline。 I can hardly wait until your letter comes
telling me that you feel I did just the thing you would wish me to
do。〃
He hesitated and then； even more regardless of the censor； added
the quotation which countless young lovers were finding so apt just
then：
〃I could not love thee； dear； so much；
Loved I not honor more。〃
So when； fresh from the intimacy of this communication with his
adored and with the letter in his hand； he entered the sitting…room
at that early hour he was not overjoyed to find the housekeeper
there ahead of him。 And her first sentence showed that she had
been awaiting his coming。
〃Good mornin'； Albert；〃 she said。 〃I heard you stirrin' 'round up
in your room and I came down here so's you and I could talk
together for a minute without anybody's disturbin' us。 。 。 。
Humph！ I guess likely you didn't sleep any too well last night；
did you？〃
Albert shook his head。 〃Not too well； Rachel；〃 he replied。
〃I shouldn't wonder。 Well； I doubt if there was too much sleep
anywheres in this house last night。 So you're really goin' to war；
are you； Albert？〃
〃Yes。 If the war will let me I certainly am。〃
〃Dear； dear！ 。 。 。 Well； II think it's what Robert Penfold would
have done if he was in your place。 I've been goin' over it and
goin' over it half the night； myself； and I've come to that
conclusion。 It's goin' to be awful hard on your grandma and
grandfather and me and Labe； all us folks here at home； but I guess
it's the thing you'd ought to do； the Penfold kind of thing。〃
Albert smiled。 〃I'm glad you think so； Rachel；〃 he said。
〃Well； I do； and if I'm goin' to tell the truth I might as well say
I tried terrible hard to find some good reasons for thinkin'
'twan't。 I did SO！ But the only good reasons I could scare up for
makin' you stay to home was because home was safe and comf'table
and where you was goin' wan't。 And that kind of reasonin' might do
fust…rate for a passel of clams out on the flats； but it wouldn't
be much credit to decent； self…respectin' humans。 When General
Rolleson came to that island and found his daughter and Robert
Penfold livin' there in that house made out of pearls he'd built
for her Wan't that him all over！ Another man； the common run
of man； would have been satisfied to build her a house out of wood
and lucky to get that； but no； nothin' would do him but pearls；
and if they'd have been di'monds he'd have been better satisfied。
Well。 。 。 。 Where was I？ 。 。 。 Oh yes！ When General Rolleson came
there and says to his daughter； 'Helen； you come home along of me；'
and she says； 'No； I shan't leave him；' meanin' Robert Penfold； you
understand When she says that did Robert Penfold say； 'That's the
talk！ Put that in your pipe； old man； and smoke it？' No； SIR； he
didn't！ He says； 'Helen； you go straight home along with your pa
and work like fury till you find out who forged that note and laid
it onto me。 You find that out；' he says； 'and then you can come
fetch me and not afore。' That's the kind of man HE was！ And they
sailed off and left him behind。〃
Albert shook his head。 He had heard only about half of the
housekeeper's story。 〃Pretty rough on him； I should say；〃 he
commented； absently。
〃I GUESS 'twas rough on him； poor thing！ But 'twas his duty and so
he done it。 It was rough on Helen； havin' to go and leave him； but
'twas rougher still on him。 It's always roughest； seems to me；〃
she added； 〃on the ones that's left behind。 Those that go have
somethin' to take up their minds and keep 'em from thinkin' too
much。 The ones that stay to home don't have much to do EXCEPT
think。 I hope you don't get the notion that I feel your part of it
is easy； Al。 Only a poor； crazy idiot could read the papers these
days and feel that any part of this war was EASY！ It's awful； but
but it WILL keep you too busy to think； maybe。〃
〃I shouldn't wonder； Rachel。 I understand what you mean。〃
〃We're all goin' to miss you； Albert。 This house is goin' to be
a pretty lonesome place； I cal'late。 Your grandma'll miss you
dreadful and so will I； butbut I have a notion that your