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So to prayer meeting she went； with Mrs。 Ellis as escort； and her
husband and grandson； seated in armchairs before the sitting room
stove； both smoking； talked and talked； of the past and of the
futurenot as man to boy； nor as grandparent to grandson； but for
the first time as equals； without reservations； as man to man。
CHAPTER XVIII
The next morning Albert met old Mr。 Kendall。 After breakfast
Captain Zelotes had gone； as usual； directly to the office。 His
grandson； however； had not accompanied him。
〃What are you cal'latin' to do this mornin'； Al？〃 inquired the
captain。
〃Oh； I don't know exactly； Grandfather。 I'm going to look about
the place a bit； write a letter to my publishers； and take a walk；
I think。 You will probably see me at the office pretty soon。 I'll
look in there by and by。〃
〃Ain't goin' to write one or two of those five hundred dollar
stories before dinner time； are you？〃
〃I guess not； sir。 I'm afraid they won't be written as quickly as
all that。〃
Captain Lote shook his head。 〃Godfreys！〃 he exclaimed； 〃it ain't
the writin' of 'em I'd worry about so much as the gettin' paid for
'em。 You're sure that editor man ain't crazy； you say？〃
〃I hope he isn't。 He seemed sane enough when I saw him。〃
〃Well； I don't know。 It's live and learn； I suppose； but if
anybody but you had told me that magazine folks paid as much as
five hundred dollars a piece for yarns made up out of a feller's
head without a word of truth in 'em； I'dwell； I should have told
the feller that told me to go to a doctor right off and have HIS
head examined。 Butwell； as 'tis I cal'late I'd better have my
own looked at。 So long； Al。 Come in to the office if you get a
chance。〃
He hurried out。 Albert walked to the window and watched the sturdy
figure swinging out of the yard。 He wondered if； should he live to
his grandfather's age； his step would be as firm and his shoulders
as square。
Olive laid a hand on his arm。
〃You don't mind his talkin' that way about your writin' those
stories； do you； Albert？〃 she asked； a trace of anxiety in her
tone。 〃He don't mean it； you know。 He don't understand itsays
he don't himselfbut he's awful proud of you； just the same。 Why；
last night； after you and he had finished talkin' and he came up to
bedand the land knows what time of night or mornin' THAT washe
woke me out of a sound sleep to tell me about that New York
magazine man givin' you a written order to write six stories for
his magazine at five hundred dollars a piece。 Zelotes couldn't
seem to get over it。 'Think of it； Mother；' he kept sayin'。
'Think of it！ Pretty nigh twice what I pay as good a man as Labe
Keeler for keepin' books a whole year。 And Al says he ought to do
a story every forni't。 I used to jaw his head off； tellin' him he
was on the road to starvation and all that。 Tut； tut； tut！
Mother； I've waited a long time to say it； but it looks as if you
married a fool。' 。 。 。 That's the way he talked； but he's a long
ways from bein' a fool； your grandfather is； Albert。〃
Albert nodded。 〃No one knows that better than I；〃 he said； with
emphasis。
〃There's one thing；〃 she went on； 〃that kind of troubled me。 He
said you was goin' to insist on payin' board here at home。 Now you
know this house is yours。 And we love to〃
He put his arm about her。 〃I know it； Grandmother；〃 he broke in；
quickly。 〃But that is all settled。 I am going to try to make my
own living in my own way。 I am going to write and see what I am
really worth。 I have my royalty money； you know； most of it； and I
have this order for the series of stories。 I can afford to pay for
my keep and I shall。 You see； as I told Grandfather last night； I
don't propose to live on his charity any more than on Mr。 Fosdick's。〃
She sighed。
〃So Zelotes said；〃 she admitted。 〃He told me no less than three
times that you said it。 It seemed to tickle him most to death； for
some reason； and that's queer； too； for he's anything but stingy。
But there； I suppose you can pay board if you want to； though who
you'll pay it to is another thing。 _I_ shan't take a cent from the
only grandson I've got in the world。〃
It was while on his stroll down to the village that Albert met Mr。
Kendall。 The reverend gentleman was plodding along carrying a
market basket from the end of which； beneath a fragment of
newspaper； the tail and rear third of a huge codfish drooped。 The
basket and its contents must have weighed at least twelve pounds
and the old minister was； as Captain Zelotes would have said；
making heavy weather of it。 Albert went to his assistance。
〃How do you do； Mr。 Kendall；〃 he said； 〃I'm afraid that basket is
rather heavy； isn't it。 Mayn't I help you with it？〃 Then； seeing
that the old gentleman did not recognize him； he added； 〃I am
Albert Speranza。〃
Down went the basket and the codfish and Mr。 Kendall seized him by
both hands。
〃Why； of course； of course；〃 he cried。 〃Of course； of course。
It's our young hero； isn't it。 Our poet； our happy warrior。 Yes；
yes； of course。 So glad to see you； Albert。 。 。 。 Er 。 。 。 er 。 。 。
How is your mother？〃
〃You mean my grandmother？ She is very well； thank you。〃
〃Yeseryes； your grandmother； of course。 。 。 。 Er 。 。 。 er。 。 。 。
Did you see my codfish？ Isn't it a magnificent one。 I am very
fond of codfish and we almost never have it at home。 So just now；
I happened to be passing Jonathan Howes'he is theerfishdealer；
you know； and 。 。 。 Jonathan is a very regular attendant at my
Sunday morning services。 He isis。 。 。 。 Dear me。 。 。 。 What
was I about to say？〃
Being switched back to the main track by Albert he explained that
he had seen a number of cod in Mr。 Howes' possession and had bought
this specimen。 Howes had lent him the basket。
〃And the newspaper；〃 he explained； adding； with triumph； 〃I shall
dine on codfish to…day； I am happy to say。〃 Judging by appearances
he might dine and sup and breakfast on codfish and still have a
supply remaining。 Albert insisted on carrying the spoil to the
parsonage。 He was doing nothing in particular and it would be a
pleasure； he said。 Mr。 Kendall protested for the first minute or
so but then forgot just what the protest was all about and rambled
garrulously on about affairs in the parish。 He had failed in other
faculties； but his flow of language was still unimpeded。 They
entered the gate of the parsonage。 Albert put the basket on the
upper step。
〃There；〃 he said； 〃now I must go。 Good morning； Mr。 Kendall。〃
〃Oh； but you aren't going？ You must come in a moment。 I want to
give you the manuscript of that sermon of mine on the casting down
of Baal； that is the one in which I liken the military power of
Germany to the brazen idol which。 。 。 。 Just a moment； Albert。
The manuscript is in my desk and。 。 。 。 Oh； dear me； the door is
locked。 。 。 。 Helen； Helen！〃
He was shaking the door and shouting his daughter's name。 Albert
was surprised and not a little disturbed。 It had not occurred to
him that Helen could be at home。 It is true that before he left
for New York his grandmother had said that she was planning to
return home to be with her father； but since then he had heard
nothing more concerning her。 Neither of his grandparents had
mentioned her name in their letters； nor since his arrival the day
before had they mentioned it。 And Mr。 Kendall had not spoken of
her during their walk together。 Albert was troubled and taken
aback。 In one way he would have liked to meet Helen very much
indeed。 They had not met since before the war。 But he did not；
somehow； wish to meet her just then。 He did not wish to meet
anyone who would speak of Madeline； or ask embarrassing questions。
He turned to go。
〃Another time； Mr。 Kendall；〃 he said。 〃Good morning。〃
But he had gone only a few yards when the reverend gentleman was
calling to him to return。
〃Albert！ Albert！〃 called Mr。 Kendall。
He was obliged to turn back； he could do nothing else； and as he
did so the door opened。 It was Helen who opened it and she stood
there upon the threshold and looked down at him。 For a moment； a
barely perceptible interval； she looked； then he heard her catch
her breath quickly and saw her put one hand upon the door jamb as
if for support。 The next； and she was running down the steps； her
hands outstretched and the light of welcome in her eyes。
〃Why； Albert Speranza！〃 she cried。 〃Why； ALBERT！〃
He seized her hands。 〃Helen！〃 he cried； and added involuntarily；
〃My； but it's good to see you again！〃
She laughed and so did he。 All his embarrassment was gone。 They
were like two children； like the boy and girl who had known each
other in the old days。
〃And when did you get here？〃 she asked。 〃And what do you mean by
surprising us like this？ I saw your grandfather yesterday morning
and he didn't say a word about your coming。〃
〃He didn't know I was coming。 I didn't know it myself until the
day before。 And when did you come？ Your father didn't tell me you
were here。 I didn't know until I heard him call your name。〃
He was calling it again。 Calling it and demanding attention for
his precious codfish。
〃Yes；