low chair was ready for him.

The room seemed in every detail to whisper, "Home"; and the woman who
waited knew that the home within her heart, yearning to receive and
welcome and hold him close, after his long, long absence from her, was
more tender, more beautiful, more radiant, than outward surroundings
could possibly be made.

No word save the one telegram had come from Ronnie since her letter to
Leipzig. But she knew he had been desperately busy; and, with the
home-coming so near, letters would have seemed to him almost impossible.

He could not know how her woman's heart had yearned to have him say at
once: "I am glad, and you did right."

Her nervousness increased, as the hour for the return of the carriage
drew near.

She wished she could be sure of having time to run up again to the
nursery with final instructions to Nurse. Supposing baby woke, just as
the carriage arrived, and the first sound Ronnie heard was the hungry
wailing of his little son!

Passing into the hall, she stood listening at the foot of the stairs.

All was quiet on the upper landing.

She returned to the sitting-room, and rang the bell.

"Simpkins," she said to her butler, "listen for the carriage and be at
the door when it draws up. It may arrive at any moment now. Tell Mr.
West I am in here."

She sat down, determined to wait calmly; took up the paper and tried to
read an article on foreign policy. It was then she discovered that her
hands were trembling.

She laughed at herself, and felt better.

"Oh, what will Ronnie think of me! That I, of all people, should
unexpectedly become nervous!"

She walked over to the fireplace and saw reflected in the mirror over
the mantel-piece, a very lovely, but a very white, face. She did not
notice the loveliness, but she marked the pallor. It was not reassuring.

She tried to put another log on to the fire, but failed to grip it
firmly with the little brass tongs, and it fell upon the rug. At that
moment she heard the sharp trot of the horses coming up the last sweep
of the park drive.

She flung the log on to the fire with her fingers, flew to the door and
set it open; then returned to the table and stood leaning against it,
her hands behind her, gripping the edge, her eyes upon the doorway.
Ronnie would have to walk the whole length of the room to reach her.
Thus she would see him--see the love in his eyes--before her own were
hidden.

She heard Simpkins cross the hall and open t