按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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