ange. The
town is making vast strides towards citizenship. But you will find those
you know the same--only grown in grace, I hope, with the years; even Mr.
Wiggins is convinced by this time that the foreigners are not
barbarians."

Champney smiled. "It was rough on Elmer Wiggins at first."

"Yes, but things are smoothing out gradually, and as a son of Maine he
has too much common sense at bottom to swim against the current. And
there's old Joel Quimber--I never see him that he doesn't tell me he is
marking off the days in his 'almanack,' he calls it, in anticipation of
your return."

"Dear old Jo!--No!--Is that true? Old Jo doing that?"

"To be sure, why not? And there's Octavius Buzzby--I don't think he
would mind my telling you now--indeed, I don't believe he'd have the
courage to tell you himself--" Father Honore smiled happily, for he saw
in Champney's face the light of awakening interest in the common life of
humanity, and he felt a prolongation of this chat would clear the
atmosphere of over-powering emotion,--"there have never three months
passed by these last six years that he hasn't deposited half of his
quarterly salary with Emlie in the bank in your name--"

"Oh, don't--don't! I can't bear it--dear old Tave--" he groaned rather
than spoke; the blood mounted to his temples, but his friend proved
merciless.

"And there's Luigi Poggi! I don't know but he will make you a
proposition, when he knows you are at home, to enter into partnership
with him and young Caukins--the Colonel's fourth eldest. Champney, he
wants to atone--he has told me so--"

"Is--is he married?"

Father Honore noticed that his lips suddenly went dry and he swallowed
hard after his question.

"No," the priest hastened to say, then he hesitated; he was wondering
how far it was safe to probe; "but it is my strong impression that he is
thinking seriously of it--a lovely girl, too, she is--" he saw the man's
face before him go white, the jaw set like a vise--"little Dulcie
Caukins, you remember her?"

Champney nodded and wet his lips.

"He has been thrown a good deal with the Caukinses since he took their
son into partnership; the Colonel's boys are all doing well. Romanzo is
in New York."

"Still with the Company?"

"Yes, in the main office. He married in that city two years ago--rather
well, I hear, but Mrs. Caukins is not reconciled yet. Now, there's a
friend! You don't know the depth of her feeling for you--but she has
shown