Mrs. Chatterton was introduced to Gene. He was all that she had expected him to be, a handsome, cultured gentleman. He likewise was pleased with John's mother, the lady who had done so much for his wife and baby. He knew now that the girl John's mother described in the letter John read to him in France was his beautiful Laura Mae.

Gene was shown to the guest room and the room where he might bathe. He was grateful, for he was covered in dust and smoke after his long ride on the train. Everyone in the home began to bustle about. A feast, such as served at wedding suppers, was ordered and being prepared in the kitchen.

After a time, Gene descended the stairs and dressed in evening clothes, just as John came into the house with his usual carefree stride. He stopped short at the sight of Gene, coming toward him with a broad grin on his face. John caught Gene's hand and shook it heartily, then gave his friend a sounding slap on the shoulder, as he said, "Well, you old son-of-a-gun. Sneaked back here without saying a word about when you would arrive."

"They did not want me to quit my job over there. Just as soon as I found a man to take my place, I caught the first steamer home. I was too excited to think about sending any message ahead."

"Well, we are mighty glad you are here. And congratulations on your marriage, if that is still in order. I have not seen a flaw in your wife in all the time I have known her."

Thanks, old man," Gene said and turned to smile at Laura Mae. Little Laura Gene sat on her mother's lap, watching her daddy with worshipping eyes.

"Your baby girl," John went on in the friendly way he had of making anyone feel at home, "How we love her! Come here, dimples," he turned and called to the little girl, who came flying up into his arms. "What do you think of this guy?" he asked her.

"He is my daddy-pwince and I love him." She said, reaching her arms out to Gene. "Mony May loves him too, tuz she kissed him 'hello' when he came."

"Is that right?" John laughed and handed her to her father.

"Now Mony May is my weally mamma and you are my weally daddy, tuz I found you," she said to Gene, patting his face gently. He gave her a loving squeeze, then he sat down on the chair John offered him and held her on his lap while they all talked and talked. At length, Gene asked if he might use the telephone, then excused himself, when permission was given to him.

An hour after they had dined at a table, filled with food fit for a king, Laura Mae took hold of her little girl's hand, then turned to Gene, "We are going up to the nursery now, it is getting dark and that means that it is time for our baby to go to bed. Would you like to come up with us?"

"You bet I would," he answered eagerly. He picked up Laura Gene and carried her to the nursery, her little arms were tight around his neck and there was a happy, contented smile on her little face. This was the home life Gene had been yearning for during all those lonesome months in France.

Laura Gene had missed having a good afternoon nap and was so tired that she dropped off to sleep before her mother finished the first verse of the "Sand Man Song."

"She is the most beautiful child I have ever seen," Gene said as he stood there with his arm about his wife's shoulders, looking down at his baby, asleep in her little bed.

"Gene, it makes me so happy to see that she loves you as she does. How in the world did you happen to find her when she ran away?" She spoke in low tones, so she would not awaken the child.

"Some things are hard to understand, dear, but I guess somebody was guiding us. She was in danger of being hurt if maybe I would not have been the one to find her."

"In danger, Gene?"

"Yes, there is no need to worry now that she is safe; it is just a warning to watch her very carefully. The taxi that I was riding in could have crushed her into the pavement, she was right out in the middle of the street, but the driver stopped in time," he explained. Laura Mae shuddered at the thought.

"We will be more careful of her now," Laura Mae said, her face grave. Gene kissed her softly there in the twilight. "Come, to my room, Gene, I have a letter for you to read and there is so much to talk about." They each bent over the little bed and, in turn, they kissed the baby's forehead ever so gently, then tip-toed from the nursery. They went down the hall to Laura Mae's room. There she asked, "Was it Uncle Everett you talked to on the telephone?"

"Yes, and say he was tickled! He said that everyone was well at the Mansion and at your home."

"Oh, I am so glad! Just think of it, Gene, we will see all of them tomorrow! Wasn't it nice of the Chatterton's to offer to take us in their car? It will be a good outing for them, too. I can hardly wait! Did you ask Uncle Everett if he would let my mother know we are coming tomorrow?"

"He said that he would drive over there in his new car. Can you imagine him with a car? And is it possible that he and your father are friendly now?"

"Why, Gene, you knew—but of course, you don't."

"Know what, dear?"

"I have a letter from my mother for you to read, it will explain everything." She found the letter and handed it to her husband. He read of her father's death and of Philip's. Philip had stopped all of their letters in the Post Office and then with his dying breath had asked to be forgiven. "Poor Philip," Gene thought to himself. "Fate has dealt unkindly to him." He could not hate Philip for what he had done, he was so happy to be back with his beautiful wife, that he could now hate anyone.

Laura Mae watched Gene closely while he read the letter through. She noticed the little gold pin on the lapel of his coat. "Oh, Gene, you still have it?" she exclaimed and came closer to make sure that it said "O.D.C." on it.

"Have what?" He looked up in surprise, inquiringly. She touched the little pin with her slender finger. "My emblem of good luck I'll say I still have it. Sweetheart, money could not buy it from me." He reached out and pulled her down onto his lap and held her closely, tenderly in his strong young arms. "I am sorry to hear of your father's death, dear," He continued, "When I knew that I was coming back to Oakdale, I made a resolution that I would win his respect and esteem. I wanted him to accept me as a son-in-law, worthy of the love of his beautiful daughter."

"My prince," she sighed, "You are still my gallant prince! I love you so much!"

"And I love you!" He kissed her again and again. "You are not a plain farmer's daughter. You are a charming queen or a lovely princess to me. Say, do you remember our visit to the park and the wonderful show at the Royal? I have thought about all those things so much over there."

"I should say I do remember them! That was the happiest day of my life—next to this one." She nestled closer to him, resting her head with its mess of curls on his strong shoulder. "I have been to both those places many times since then, but they are not the same without you my side," she said. "John and his mother used to go to the Royal often and take me with them."

"By the way, what do you think of John?"

"What do I think John? I think he is one of the best friends in the world. He has been wonderful to me. I used to wish I had a brother. He has fulfilled that vacancy in my life, during the time he has been home." She was earnest.

"He has filled that same kind of place for me, too. He has been like a brother, a kind, loving brother to me. If it had not been for him over in France, I am afraid I might have done something desperate after I thought that... that you had died."

"Well, I am sure glad that he was there with you, Wasn't it a horrible mix-up? I thought you knew that I was named after my aunt in Denver?"

"I knew that her surname was Porter, but I am sure that I had never heard that her first name was Laura May. Say, Miss Muffat, why did you change your name to Elison and fool all of us the way you did?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"I had to, Gene. Father disowned me and I just could not risk hurting your name so I made one up, using his first one." She flushed with guilt at the thought of the misunderstanding it had caused.

"How could it have hurt my name to have used it, dear? Were you afraid you might drop it and break it?" He had always been a big tease and could not resist the temptation now.

"You do not understand, Gene, why, I –I was almost penniless looking desperately for work, and I did not want your friends here in town to know that I—I was." It was hard to find the right words, words that would not have a bitter sting to them.

"I am sorry I teased you, darling, but did 'y you know then that you were to use the money in the bank? Did that new Post Master in Oakdale stop the very first letter that I wrote you?"

Gene, I never received a single letter from you. It was terrible the way I watched the mail in vain."

"I know, I watched in vain too, until after I read the awful account of your aunt's death in the newspaper. God, have mercy on the soul of the one who caused so much anxiety and suffering." Gene uttered the words in the tone of a prayer, scarcely above a whisper.

"I knew that you had money in the Kingsford National Bank, so I went there and Mr. Baldwin told me that I had a right to draw check on our join account there. It made me happy and sad. Sad because no one received any word from you, not even Uncle Everett." She paused a second. "Say, do you remember Edith Holt?"

"Edith Holt, Edith Holt," he repeated. "Yes, I knew a girl at college by that name. She was pretty and popular. Why?"

"Well, she is a dear friend of mine, now," Laura Mae said and smiled.

"Edith Holt. Where in the world is she? Is she married?"

"She lives in the lovely Colonial house in the next block. She married the wealthy Horace Randall. We have been together so much, dear. Her husband joined the navy during the war. Her little boy and our baby were born just three days apart in the very same hospital. She is there again now with a brand-new baby girl this time."

"Well, well. Edith and John have turned out to be friends to both of us. I used to wonder why they did not make a match of it, but John did not seem to be interested in her, or in any other girl, for that matter. His mother was everything to him, father, mother, sweetheart, I think." Gene smiled at the thought of how they used to tease the young fellow about the girls. "Do you know that before dinner, John asked me how I would like to go into business with him, a sort of partnership affair. What would you think of that?" he asked, moving the wedding ring on Laura Mae's finger back and forth, as her hand lay in his.

"Why, whatever you want to do about it, will be all right with me. He is a nice fellow," she said, her attention was attracted to the gold band that Gene was fingering. "My precious wedding ring," she whispered. Gene heard her and noticed what he had been doing.

"I have something here for you, Sweetheart." He put his hand into his coat pocket and drew out a little plush box just an inch and a half square, and opened it, then reached for her left hand.

"Why, Gene, it is a beautiful diamond ring!" Her eyes beamed with happiness.

"Yes, I picked it up in New York, you told me, that time, to wait until I came back to give you the diamond." He slipped it on her finger, close to the gold wedding band.

"It is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen, dear, thanks so much. Here is a kiss for it. Do you remember how I paid you for five fish once?" she asked, laughing as she pressed her ruby lips to his.

"I have some souvenirs for you from France, when I unpack, I can give them to you, and someday, I am going to take you on a big long honeymoon. We will see New York, London, Paris and all of the other cities that you would like to see."

"Won't that be wonderful? Say, don't you think that it would look better if we go down and be a little more sociable with John and his mother?"

"Perhaps it would," he answered and they walked down the stairs, arm in arm.