quiet but determined persistence。 To the father he held up the
utilitarian advantages of an education。
〃Your boy is quickwhy should not Tony be a master of men some
day？ Give him a chance to climb。〃
〃Oui； by gar！ Antoine he's smart lee'le feller。 I mak him steeck
on his book； you mak him one big boss on some mill。〃
To the mother the master spoke of social advantages。 The empty…
headed Irish woman who had all the quick wit and cleverness of
tongue characteristic of her race was determined that her girl
Annette should learn to be as stylish as 〃them that tho't
themselves her betters。〃 So the children were kept at school by
their fondly ambitious parents； and the master did the rest。
At the Public School； that greatest of all democratic institutions；
the Perrotte children met the town youth of their own age； giving
and taking on equal terms； sharing common privileges and advantages
and growing into a community solidarity all their own； which in
later years brought its own harvest of mingling joy and bitterness；
but which on the whole made for sound manhood and womanhood。
With the girl Annette one effect of the Public School and its
influences； educational and social； was to reveal to her the depth
of the educational and social pit from which she had been taken。
Her High School training might have fitted her for the teaching
profession and completed her social emancipation but for her vain
and thriftless mother； who； socially ambitious for herself but more
for her handsome； clever children； found herself increasingly
embarrassed for funds。 She lacked the means with which to suitably
adorn herself and her children for the station in life to which she
aspired and for which good clothes were the prime equipment and to
〃eddicate〃 Tony as he deserved。 Hence when Annette had completed
her second year at the High School her mother withdrew her from the
school and its associations and found her a place in the new Fancy
Box Factory； where girls could obtain 〃an illigant and refoined job
with good pay as well。〃
This change in Annette's outlook brought wrathful disappointment to
the head master； Alex Day； who had taken a very special pride in
Annette's brilliant school career and who had outlined for her a
University course。 To Annette herself the ending of her school
days was a bitter grief； the bitterness of which would have been
greatly intensified had she been able to measure the magnitude of
the change to be wrought in her life by her mother's foolish vanity
and unwise preference of her son's to her daughter's future。
The determining factor in Annette's submission to her mother's will
was consideration for her brother and his career。 For while for
her father she cherished an affectionate pride and for her mother
an amused and protective pity； her great passion was for her
brotherher handsome； vivacious； audacious and mercurial brother；
Tony。 With him she counted it only joy to share her all too meagre
wages whenever he found himself in financial straits。 And a not
infrequent situation this was with Tony； who； while he seemed to
have inherited from his mother the vivacity； quick wit and general
empty…headedness； from his father got nothing of the thrift and
patient endurance of grinding toil characteristic of the French…
Canadian habitant。 But he did get from his father a capacity for
the knowing and handling of machinery； which amounted almost to
genius。 Of the father's steadiness under the grind of daily work
which had made him the head mechanic in the Mill； Tony possessed
not a tittle。 What he could get easily he got； and getting this
fancied himself richly endowed； knowing not how slight and
superficial is the equipment for life's stern fight that comes
without sweat of brain and body。 His cleverness deceived first
himself and then his family； who united in believing him to be
destined for high place and great things。 Only two of those who
had to do with him in his boyhood weighed him in the balance of
truth。 One was his Public School master； who labored with
incessant and painful care to awaken in him some glimmer of the
need of preparation for that bitter fight to which every man is
appointed。 The other was Grant Maitland； whose knowledge of men
and of life； gained at cost of desperate conflict； made the youth's
soul an open book to him。 Recognising the boy's aptitude； he had
in holiday seasons set Tony behind the machines in his planing
mill； determined for his father's sake to make of him a mechanical
engineer。 To Tony each new machine was a toy to be played with； in
a week or two he had mastered it and grown weary of it。 Thenceforth
he slacked at his work and became a demoralizing influence in his
department； a source of anxiety to his steady…going father； a
plague to his employer； till the holiday time was done。
〃Were you my son； my lad； I'd soon settle you；〃 Grant Maitland
would say； when the boy was ready to go back to his school。 〃You
will make a mess of your life unless you can learn to stick at your
job。 The roads are full of clever tramps； remember that； my boy。〃
But Tony only smiled his brilliant smile at him； as he took his pay
envelope； which burned a hole in his pocket till he had done with
it。 When the next holiday came round Tony would present himself
for a job with Jack Maitland to plead for him。 For to Tony Jack
was as king； to whom he gave passionate loyalty without stint or
measure。 And thus for his son Jack's sake； Jack's father took Tony
on again； resolved to make another effort to make something out of
him。
The bond between the two boys was hard to analyse。 In games at
Public and High School Jack was always Captain and Tony his right…
hand man； held to his place and his training partly by his admiring
devotion to his Captain but more by a wholesome dread of the
inexorable disciplinary measures which slackness or trifling with
the rules of the game would inevitably bring him。 Jack Maitland
was the one being in Tony's world who could put lasting fear into
his soul or steadiness into his practice。 But even Jack at times
failed。
Then when both were eighteen they went to the War； Jack as an
Officer； Tony as a Non…Commissioned Officer in the same Battalion；
Jack hating the bloody business but resolute to play this great
game of duty as he played all games for all that was in him； Tony
aglow at first with the movement and glitter and later mad with the
lust for deadly daring that was native to his Keltic Gallic soul。
They returned with their respective decorations of D。 S。 O。 and
Military Medal and each with the stamp of war cut deep upon him； in
keeping with the quality of his soul。
The return to peace was to them； as to the thousands of their
comrades to whom it was given to return； a shock almost as great as
had been the adventure of war。 In a single day while still amid
the scenes and with all the paraphernalia of war about them an
unreal and bewildering silence had fallen on them。 Like men in the
unearthly realities of a dream they moved through their routine
duties； waiting for the orders that would bring that well…known；
sickening； savage tightening of their courage and send them； laden
like beasts of burden； up once more to that hell of blood and mud；
of nerve…shattering shell； of blinding glare and ear…bursting roar
of gun fire； and； worse than all； to the place where； crouching in
the farcical deceptive shelter of the sandbagged trench； their
fingers gripping into the steel of their rifle hands； they would
wait for the zero hour。 But as the weeks passed and the orders
failed to come they passed from that bewildering and subconscious
anxious waiting； to an experience of wildly exultant； hysterical
abandonment。 They were done with all that long horror and terror；
they were never to go back into it again； they were going back
home； the New Day had dawned； war was no more； nor ever would be
again。 Back to home； to waiting hearts； to shining eyes； to
welcoming arms； to peace； they were going。
Thereafter； when some weeks of peace had passed and the drums of
peace had fallen quiet and the rushing； crowding； hurrahing people
had melted away； and the streets and roads were filled again with
men and women bent on business； with engagements to keep； the
returned men found themselves with dazed； listless mind waiting for
orders from someone； somewhere； or for the next movie show to open。
But they were unwilling to take on the humdrum of making a living；
and were in most cases incapable of initiating a congenial method
of employing their powers； their new…found； splendid； glorious
powers； by means of which they had saved an empire and a world。
They had become common men again； they in whose souls but a few
weeks ago had flamed the glory and splendour of a divine heroism！
Small wonder that some of these men； tingling with the consciousness
of powers of which these busy； engaged people of the streets and
shops knew nothing； turned with disdain from the petty； paltry； many
of them non…manly tasks that men pursued solely that they might
live。 Live！ For these last terrible； great and glorious fifty
months they had schooled themselves to the notion that the main
business of life was not to live。 There had been for them a thing
to do infinitely more worth while than to live。 Indeed； had they
been determined at all costs to live； then they had become to
themselves； to their comrades； and indeed to all the world； the most
despicable of all living things； deserving and winning the infinite
contempt of all true men。
While the 〃gratuity money〃 lasted life went merrily enough； but
when the last cheque had been cashed； and the grim reality that
rations had ceased and Q。 M。 Stores were not longer available
thrust itself vividly into the face of the demobilised veteran； and
when after experiencing in job hunting varying degrees of
humiliation the same veteran made the startling and painful
discovery that for his wares of heroic self…immolation； of dogged
endurance done up in khaki； there was no demand in the bloodless
but none the less strenuous conflict of living； and that other
discovery； more disconcerting； that he was not