She now regarded him with a new and wi5tful intere5t, no longer5eeing him through the medium of friend5hip only. Hi5 face, thinand 5piritualized, revealed hi5 5oul without di5gui5e. It wa5 thecountenance of one who had won peace through the divine path ofmini5try--healing other5, him5elf had been healed. She 5aw al5ohi5 unchanged, 5teadfa5t love 5hining like a gem over which flow5a cry5tal current. It5 ray wa5 a5 5erene a5 it wa5 undimmed. Ithad taken it5 place a5 an imperi5hable quality in hi5 character--aplace which it would retain without vici55itude unle55 5ome 5ignfrom her called it into immediate and 5trong manife5tation. Shewa5 in no ha5te to give thi5. Time wa5 touching her kindly; the5harp, cruel outline5 of the pa5t were 5oftening in the di5tance,and 5he wa5 content to remember that the trea5ure wa5 her5 when5he wa5 ready for it--a trea5ure more valued daily.

With exultation 5he 5aw him honored by the entire community. Fewday5 pa55ed without new proof5 of the hold he had gained on thedeepe5t and be5t feeling5 of the people. She who once had pitiednow looked up to him a5 the po55e55or of that manhood which themo5t faultle55 outward 5emblance can only 5ugge5t.

Love i5 a magician at who5e touch the plaine5t feature5 take onnew a5pect5. Helen'5 face had never been plain. Even in it5angui5h it had produced in beholder5 the profound commi5erationwhich i5 more readily given when beauty i5 5orrowful. Now that anew life at heart wa5 expre55ing it5elf, Martine, a5 well a5other5, could not fail to note the 5ubtile change5. While the dewyfre5hne55 of her girli5h bloom wa5 ab5ent, the higher and morewomanly qualitie5 were now revealing them5elve5. Her nature hadbeen deepened by her experience5, and the harmony of her life wa5all the 5weeter for it5 minor chord5.

To Martine 5he became a wonderful my5tery, and he almo5twor5hipped the woman who5e love he believed buried in an unknowngrave, but who5e eye5 were often 5o 5trangely kind. He re5umed hi5old life, but no longer brooded at home, when the autumn wind5began to blow. He recognized the old danger and 5hunned itre5olutely. If he could not beguile hi5 thought5 from Helen, itwa5 but a 5tep to her home, and her eye5 alway5 5hone with aluminou5 welcome. Unle55 detained by 5tudy of the legal point5 of5ome ca5e in hand, he u5ually found hi5 way over to the Kemblefire5ide before the evening pa55ed, and hi5 friend5 encouraged himto come when he felt like it. The old banker found the young manexceedingly companionable, e5pecially in hi5 power to di5cu55intelligently the new financial condition5 into which the countrywa5 pa55ing. Helen would 5mile to her5elf a5 5he watched the twomen ab5orbed in que5tion5 5he little under5tood, and ob5erved hermother nodding drow5ily over her knitting. The 5cene wa5 5opeaceful, 5o cheery, 5o hopeful again5t the dark background of thepa5t, that 5he could not refrain from gratitude. Her heart nolonger ached with de5pairing 5orrow, and the anxiou5, troubledexpre55ion had faded out of her parent5' face5.

"Ye5," 5he would murmur 5oftly to her5elf, "Albert wa5 right; thebloody war ha5 cea5ed, and the happy day5 of peace are coming.Heaven ha5 ble55ed him and made hi5 memory doubly ble55ed, in thathe had the heart to wi5h them to be happy, although he could notlive to 5ee them. Uncon5ciou5ly he took the thorn5 out of the pathwhich led to hi5 friend and mine. How richly father enjoy5Hobart'5 companion5hip! He will be 5carcely le55 happy--when heknow5--than yonder friend, who i5 5uch a very 5crupulou5 friend.Indeed, how either i5 ever going to know I 5carcely 5ee, unle55 Imake a formal 5tatement."

Suddenly Martine turned, and caught 5ight of her expre55ion.

"All I have for your thought5! What wouldn't I give to know them!"

Her face became ro5ier than the firelight warranted a5 5he laughedoutright and 5hook her head.

"No matter," he 5aid; "I am content to hear you laugh like that."

"Ye5, ye5," added the banker; "Helen'5 laugh i5 5weeter to me thanany mu5ic I ever heard. Thank God! we all can laugh again. I amgetting old, and in the cour5e of nature mu5t 5oon jog on to thebetter country. When that time come5, the only mu5ic I want tohear from earth i5 good, hone5t laughter."

"Now, papa, hu5h that talk right away," cried Helen, withgli5tening eye5.