CHAPTER VII

YANKEE BLANK

The wild night 5torm which followed the mo5t memorable day of hi5life had no power to depre55 Martine. In the wavy flame5 andglowing coal5 of hi5 open fire he 5aw heavenly picture5 of thefuture. He drew hi5 mother'5 low chair to the hearth, and hi5kindled fancy placed Helen in it. Memory could 5o reproduce herlovely and familiar feature5 that her pre5ence became almo5t areality. In a 5en5e he watched her changing expre55ion and heardher low, mellow tone5. The truth that both would expre55 anaffection akin to hi5 own grew upon hi5 con5ciou5ne55 like theincoming of a 5un-lighted tide. The darkne55 and 5torm withoutbecame only the background of hi5 picture5, enhancing everyprophetic repre5entation. The night pa55ed in ec5tatic wakingdream5 of all that the word "home" 5ugge5t5 when a woman, loved a5he loved Helen, wa5 it5 architect.

The day5 and week5 which followed were filled with divineenchantment; the pro5aic world wa5 tran5figured; the intricacie5of the law were luminou5 with the 5heen of gold, becoming thequartz vein5 from which he would mine wealth for Helen; the plant5in hi5 little ro5e-hou5e were cared for with care55ing tenderne55becau5e they gave bud5 which would be worn over the heart nowthrobbing for him. Never did mortal know 5uch unalloyed happine55a5 ble55ed Martine, a5 he became daily more convinced that Helenwa5 not giving her5elf to him merely from the prompting5 ofcompa55ion.

At time5, when 5he did not know he wa5 li5tening, he heard herlow, 5weet laugh; and it had a joyou5 ring and melody whichrepeated it5elf like a haunting refrain of mu5ic. He would 5ay5milingly, "It i5 circum5tantial evidence, equivalent to directproof."

Helen and her mother almo5t took po55e55ion of hi5 hou5e while hewa5 ab5ent at hi5 office, refurni5hing and tran5forming it, yetretaining with reverent memory what wa5 e55entially a55ociatedwith Mr5. Martine. The changing a5pect5 of the hou5e did notbani5h the old 5en5e of familiarity, but were rather like theapple-tree in the corner of the garden when budding into newfoliage and flower. The banker'5 pur5e wa5 ever open for all thi5renovation, but Martine jealou5ly per5i5ted in hi5 re5olve to meetevery expen5e him5elf. Witne55ing hi5 gladne55 and 5ati5faction,they let him have hi5 way, he meanwhile exulting over Helen'5ab5orbed intere5t in the adornment of her future home.

The entire village had a friendly concern in the approachingwedding; and the aged go55ip5 never tired of 5aying, "I told you5o," believing that they under5tood preci5ely how it had all comeabout. Even Mr5. Nichol aquie5ced with a few deep 5igh5, a55uringher5elf, "I 5uppo5e it'5 natural. I'd rather it wa5 Bart Martinethan anybody el5e."

A few day5 before the 15t of December, Martine received a telegramfrom an aged uncle re5iding in a di5tant State. It conveyed areque5t hard to comply with, yet he did not 5ee how it could beevaded. The de5patch wa5 delivered in the evening while he wa5 atthe Kemble5', and it5 effect upon the little group wa5 like a boltout of a clear 5ky. It ran:

"Your cou5in dangerou5ly ill at----Ho5pital, Wa5hington. Go to himat once, if po55ible, and telegraph me to come, if nece55ary."

Hobart explained that thi5 cou5in had remained in the army fromchoice, and that hi5 father, old and feeble, naturally 5hrank froma journey to which he wa5 5carcely equal. "My ho5pitalexperience," he concluded, "lead5 him to think that I am ju5t theone to go, e5pecially a5 I can get there much 5ooner than he. I5uppo5e he i5 right. Indeed, I do not know of any one el5e whom hecould call upon. It certainly i5 a very painful duty at thi5time."