fiction。 Sergeant Speranza is said to have led his company in the
capture of the village and to have acted with distinguished
bravery。〃 The editor of the Boston paper who first read this
dispatch turned to his associate at the next desk。
〃Speranza？ 。 。 。 Speranza？〃 he said aloud。 〃Say； Jim； wasn't it
Albert Speranza who wrote that corking poem we published after the
Lusitania was sunk？〃
Jim looked up。 〃Yes；〃 he said。 〃He has written a lot of pretty
good stuff since； too。 Why？〃
〃He's just been killed in action over there； so Conway says in this
dispatch。〃
〃So？ 。 。 。 Humph！ 。 。 。 Any particulars？〃
〃Not yet。 'Distinguished bravery；' according to Conway。 Couldn't
we have something done in the way of a Sunday special？ He was a
Massachusetts fellow。〃
〃We might。 We haven't a photograph； have we？ If we haven't；
perhaps we can get one。〃
The photograph was obtainedbribery and corruption of the Orham
photographerand； accompanied by a reprint of the Lusitania poem；
appeared in the 〃Magazine Section〃 of the Sunday newspaper。 With
these also appeared a short notice of the young poet's death in the
service of his country。
That was the beginning。 At the middle of that week Conway sent
another dispatch。 The editor who received it took it into the
office of the Sunday editor。
〃Say；〃 he said； 〃here are more particulars about that young chap
Speranza； the one we printed the special about last Sunday。 He
must have been a corker。 When his lieutenant was put out of
business by a shrapnel this Speranza chap rallied the men and
jammed 'em through the Huns like a hot knife through butter。
Killed the German officer and took three prisoners all by himself。
Carried his wounded lieutenant to the rear on his shoulders； too。
Then he went back into the ruins to get another wounded man and was
blown to slivers by a hand grenade。 He's been cited in orders and
will probably be decorated by the Frenchthat is； his memory will
be。 Pretty good for a poet； I'd say。 No 'lilies and languors'
about that； eh？〃
The Sunday editor nodded approval。
〃Great stuff！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Let me have that dispatch； will you；
when you've finished。 I've just discovered that this young
Speranza's father was Speranza； the opera baritone。 You remember
him？ And his mother was the daughter of a Cape Cod sea captain。
How's that？ Spain； Cape Cod； opera； poetry and the Croix de
Guerre。 And have you looked at the young fellow's photograph？
Combination of Adonis and 'Romeo； where art thou。' I've had no
less than twenty letters about him and his poetry already。 Next
Sunday we'll have a special 〃as is。〃 Where can I get hold of a lot
of his poems？〃
The 〃special as was〃 occupied an entire page。 A reporter had
visited South Harniss and had taken photographs of the Snow place
and some of its occupants。 Captain Zelotes had refused to pose；
but there was a view of the building and yards of 〃Z。 Snow and Co。〃
with the picturesque figure of Mr。 Issachar Price tastefully draped
against a pile of boards in the right foreground。 Issy had been a
find for the reporter； he supplied the latter with every fact
concerning Albert which he could remember and some that he invented
on the spur of the moment。 According to Issy； Albert was 〃a fine；
fust…class young feller。 Him and me was like brothers； as you
might say。 When he got into trouble； or was undecided or anything；
he'd come to me for advice and I always gave it to him。 Land； yes！
I always give to Albert。 No matter how busy I was I always stopped
work to help HIM out。〃 The reporter added that Mr。 Price stopped
work even while speaking of it。
The special attracted the notice of other newspaper editors。 This
skirmish in which Albert had taken so gallant part was among the
first in which our soldiers had participated。 So the story was
copied and recopied。 The tale of the death of the young poet； the
〃happy warrior；〃 as some writer called him； was spread from the
Atlantic to the Pacific and from Canada to the Gulf。 And just at
this psychological moment the New York publisher brought out the
long deferred volume。 The Lances of Dawn； Being the Collected
Poems of Albert M。 C。 Speranza； such was its title。
Meanwhile； or； rather； within the week when the Lances of Dawn
flashed upon the public； Captain Zelotes received a letter from the
captain of Albert's regiment in France。 It was not a long letter；
for the captain was a busy man； but it was the kindly； sympathetic
letter of one who was； literally； that well…advertised combination；
an officer and a gentleman。 It told of Albert's promotion to the
rank of sergeant； 〃a promotion which； had the boy been spared；
would； I am sure； have been the forerunner of others。〃 It told of
that last fight； the struggle for the village； of Sergeant
Speranza's coolness and daring and of his rush back into the throat
of death to save a wounded comrade。
The men tell me they tried to stop him （wrote the captain）。 He was
himself slightly wounded； he had just brought Lieutenant Stacey
back to safety and the enemy at that moment was again advancing
through the village。 But he insisted upon going。 The man he was
trying to rescue was a private in his company and the pair were
great friends。 So he started back alone； although several followed
him a moment later。 They saw him enter the ruined cottage where
his friend lay。 Then a party of the enemy appeared at the corner
and flung grenades。 The entire side of the cottage which he had
just entered was blown in and the Germans passed on over it；
causing our men to fall back temporarily。 We retook the place
within half an hour。 Private Kelly's bodyit was Private Kelly
whom Sergeant Speranza was attempting to rescuewas found and
another； badly disfigured； which was at first supposed to be that
of your grandson。 But this body was subsequently identified as
that of a private named Hamlin who was killed when the enemy first
charged。 Sergeant Speranza's body is still missing； but is thought
to be buried beneath the ruins of the cottage。 These ruins were
subsequently blown into further chaos by a high explosive shell。
Then followed more expressions of regret and sympathy and
confirmation of the report concerning citation and the war cross。
Captain Lote read the letter at first alone in his private office。
Then he brought it home and gave it to his wife to read。 Afterward
he read it aloud to Mrs。 Ellis and to Laban； who was making his
usual call in the Snow kitchen。
When the reading was ended Labe was the first to speak。 His eyes
were shining。
〃Godfreys！〃 he exclaimed。 Godfreys； Cap'n Lote！〃
The captain seemed to understand。
〃You're right； Labe；〃 he said。 〃The boy's made us proud of
him。 。 。 。 Prouder than some of us are of ourselves； I cal'late；〃
he added； rising and moving toward the door。
〃Sho； sho； Cap'n； you mustn't feel that way。 No； no。〃
〃Humph！ 。 。 。 Labe； I presume likely if I was a pious man； one of
the old…fashioned kind of pious； and believed the Almighty went out
of his way to get square with any human bein' that made a mistake
or didn't do the right thingif I believed that I might figger all
this was a sort of special judgment on me for my prejudices； eh？〃
Mr。 Keeler was much disturbed。
〃Nonsense； nonsense； Cap'n Lote！〃 he protested。 〃You ain't fair to
yourself。 You never treated Al anyhow but just honest and fair and
square。 If he was here now instead of layin' dead over there in
France； poor feller； he'd say so； too。 Yes； he would。 Course he
would。〃
The captain made no reply； but walked from the room。 Laban turned
to Mrs。 Ellis。
〃The old man broods over that；〃 he said。 〃I wish。 。 。 。 Eh？
What's the matter； Rachel？ What are you lookin' at me like that
for？〃
The housekeeper was leaning forward in her chair； her cheeks
flushed and her hands clenched。
〃How do you know he's dead？〃 she asked； in a mysterious whisper。
〃Eh？ How do I know who's dead？〃
〃Albert。 How do you know he's dead？〃
Laban stared at her。
〃How do I know he's DEAD！〃 he repeated。 〃How do I know〃
〃Yes； yes； yes；〃 impatiently； 〃that's what I said。 Don't run it
over three or four times more。 How do you know Albert's dead？〃
〃Why； Rachel； what kind of talk's that？ I know he's dead because
the newspapers say so； and the War Department folks say so； and
this cap'n man in France that was right there at the time； HE says
so。 All hands say soyes； yes。 So don't〃
〃Sh！ I don't care if they all say so ten times over。 How do they
KNOW？ They ain't found him dead； have they？ The report from the
War Department folks was sent when they thought that other body was
Albert's。 Now they know that wasn't him。 Where is he？〃
〃Why； under the ruins of that cottage。 'Twas all blown to pieces
and most likely〃
〃Um…hm。 There you are！ 'Most likely！' Well； I ain't satisfied
with most likelys。 I want to KNOW。〃
〃Butbut〃
〃Laban Keeler； until they find his body I shan't believe Albert's
dead。〃
〃But； Rachel； you mustn't try to deceive yourself that way。 Don't
you see〃
〃No； I don't see。 Labe； when Robert Penfold was lost and gone for
all them months all