laddin
lowered his eyes until it was over. When he raised them it was to
encounter those of the very sick man. Aladdin sprang to his feet with a
cry and went limping down the aisle.

"Peter," he cried, "by all that's holy!"

All the tenderness of the Celt gushed into Aladdin's heart as he
realized the pitiful condition and shocking emaciation of his friend. He
put his arm gently about him, and thus they sat until the journey's end.
In New York they separated.

Aladdin rested that night and boarded an early morning train for Boston.
He settled himself contentedly behind a newspaper, and fell to gathering
news of the army. But it was difficult to read. A sentence beginning
like this: "Rumors of a savage engagement between the light horse
under" would shape itself like this: "I am going to see Margaret
to-morrow--to-morrow--to-morrow--I am going to see Margaret
to-morrow-tomorrow--and God is good--is good--is good."

Oddly enough, there was another man in the car who was having precisely
the same difficulty in deciphering his newspaper. At about the same
time they both gave up the attempt; and their eyes met. And they laughed
aloud. And presently, seated together, they fell into good talk, but
each refrained pointedly from asking the other where he was going.

With a splendid assumption of innocence, they drove together across
Boston, and remarking nothing on the coincidence, each distinctly heard
the other checking his luggage for Portland, Maine.

Side by side they rolled out of Portland and saw familiar trees and
hills go by. Presently Aladdin chuckled:

"Where are you going, Peter, anyway?" he said.

"Just where you are," said Peter.

XXVIII

"Peter," said Aladdin, presently, "it seems to me that for two such old
friends we are lacking in confidence. I know precisely what you are
thinking about, and you know precisely what I am. We mustn't play the
jealous rivals to the last; and to put it plainly, Peter, if God is
going to be good to you instead of me, why, I'm going to try and thank
God just the same. A personal disappointment is a purely private matter
and has no license to upset old ties and affections. Does it occur to
you that we are after the same thing and that one of us isn't going to
get it?"

"We won't let it make any difference," said Peter, stoutly.

"That's just it," said Aladdin. "We mustn't."

"The situation--" Peter began.

"Is none the less difficult, I know. Here we are with