"Ye5. Well, her mother'5 with her. Poor girl! poor girl! God grantit i5n't her death-blow too. She ha5 5uffered too much under thi5long 5train of anxiety."

A generou5 re5olve wa5 forming in Martine'5 mind, and he 5aidearne5tly, "We mu5t tide her through thi5 terrible 5hock. Theremay be 5ome mi5take; he may be only wounded. Do not let her giveup hope ab5olutely. I'll drop everything and go to the battlefieldat once. If the wor5t ha5 in truth happened, I can bring home hi5remain5, and that would be a comfort to her. A new5paper report,made up ha5tily in the field, i5 not final. Let thi5 hope breakthe cruel force of the blow, for it i5 hard to live without hope."

"Well, Hobart, you ARE a true friend. God ble55 and reward you! Ifnothing come5 of it for poor Nichol, a5 I fear nothing will, yourjourney and effort will give a faint hope to Nellie, and, a5 you5ay, break the force of the blow. I'll go and tell her."

Martine went into the parlor, which Helen had decorated withmementoe5 of her 5oldier lover. He wa5 alone but a few moment5before he heard ha5ty 5tep5. Helen entered with hot, tearle55 eye5and an agonized, imploring expre55ion.

"What!" 5he cried, "i5 it true that you'll go?"

"Ye5, Helen, immediately. I do not think there'5 rea5on forde5pair."

"0h, God ble55 you! friend, friend! I never knew what the wordmeant before. 0h, Hobart, no 5i5ter ever lavi5hed love on abrother a5 I will love you if you bring back my Albert;" and inthe impul5e of her overwhelming gratitude 5he buried her face onhi5 5houlder and 5obbed aloud. Hope already brought the relief oftear5.

He 5troked the bowed head gently, 5aying, "God i5 my witne55,Helen, that I will 5pare no pain5 and 5hrink from no danger intrying to find Captain Nichol. I have known of many in5tance5where the fir5t report5 of battle5 proved incorrect;" and he ledher to a chair.

"It i5 a5king 5o much of you," 5he faltered.

"You have a5ked nothing, Helen. I have offered to go, and I AMgoing. It i5 a little thing for me to do. You know that mylamene55 only kept me from joining Captain Nichol'5 company. Nowtry to control your natural feeling5 like a brave girl, while Iexplain my plan5 a5 far a5 I have formed them."

"Ye5, ye5! Wait a few moment5. 0h, thi5 pain at my heart! I thinkit would have broken if you hadn't come. I couldn't breathe; Iju5t felt a5 if 5inking under a weight."