And, as he had done for years, Crittenden slipped the fastenings of the big hall-door, paused a moment, and looked out. Around the corner of the still house swept the sounds of merriment from the quarters. The moon had risen on the snowy fields and white-cowled trees and draped hedges and on the slender white shaft under the bent willow over his father's and his uncle's grave--the brothers who had fought face to face and were sleeping side by side in peace, each the blameless gentleman who had reverenced his conscience as his king, and, without regret for his way on earth, had set his foot, without fear, on the long way into the hereafter. For one moment his mind swept back over the short, fierce struggle of the summer. As they had done, so he had tried to do; and as they had lived, so he, with God's help, would live henceforth to the end. For a moment he thought of the flag hanging motionless in the dim drawing-room behind him--the flag of the great land that was stretching out its powerful hand to the weak and oppressed of the earth. And then with a last look to the willow and the shaft beneath, his lips moved noiselessly: "They will sleep better to-night." Judith was standing in the drawing-room on his hearth, looking into his fire and dreaming. Ah, God, to think that it should come to pass at last! He entered so softly that she did not hear him. There was no sound but the drowsy tick of the great clock in the hall and the low song of the fire. "Sweetheart!" She looked up quickly, the dream gone from her face, and in its place the light of love and perfect trust, and she stood still, her arms hanging at her sides--waiting. "Sweetheart!" God was good that Christmas. THE END * * * * * Transcriber's Notes: 1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards. 2. Contemporary spelling has been retained, with these corrections: p. 64 "gretty" to "pretty" ("watching pretty girls"). p. 64 "pacing ing" to "pacing" ("pacing a steady beat"). p. 117 "Critdenden" to "Crittenden" ("Private Crittenden"). p. 162 "chapparal" to "chaparral" ("through the chaparral").