The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-11-10

ought to pass the honors over to the
woman. Men do not now kneel eere-
monlOusly and offer their all at the be-
! loved's feet. But the well advised find
/ that this is stui the right moral attitude
/ IL pays the man because II elevRtes
woman in her own estimation. And II
/ yoI do that sufficiently and continuously,
there are but few things she will deny
you. Which are the precepts of the
grandfather OF Sirach. the man Of great
/ diligence in gathering together all grave
! sentiments. Give. therefore. as much
| heed. young man. as If you had lived in
Egypt under King Euergetes. in the eight
and thrtieth year Of that neyer-to-be-
! forgotten monarch's reign
So each night in sweet, gray, spring
gloamings tinted tenderly lilac between
the black branches of trees on which the
green buds were doubtfully forming, in
| wintry "forenichts, blithe with the COM
/ ing and going OF lovers betwixt hamlet
and hamlet. the snow crisp underfoot
and the stars corruScatng overhead
/ prompt 10 the moment Vic Morris ap-
peared at Dick Finnans gate. swung 1t
back, tramped up the short gravel path
and knocked.
] General 1t was Dick himself who came
20 the door. Every two or three months
/ according to the leave granted by the
commissioners Of Northern Lights il was
a certain Mr.. William Bryan. senior keep
er Of the Wolf Skerry lighthOuse-and, as
/ ii were. a member OF Vic Morris own
profession.
But II was never Vida who opened.
And the young man searched in his
/ mind for the reason annexed 10 this fact
! He ascertained that she opened TO other
people. Why not, then, TO him? His
! assurance fouRd the solution-one agree
/ able to his vanity. Yet Ludovlc Morris
was not vain. He cared neither for his
| appearance nor for the effect 1t might
/ produce But. on the other hand. his self
/ assurance was monumental. and the fear
OF man was not in him. Which is a good
| thing. doubtless. But. then, neither was
( the fear of wOman-which is a thing in
/ fnitely ILL.,
| Vic Morris was strong man. His IN
! fiuenCe over the pit workers was re-
markable lie had no trouble with them
1 No tools or pieces of coal fell from a
! height on his head. Already he had
/ averted EiOre than one strike But-he
/ WAS an advanced politician. The Con
/ fidentiaI Kahn and the general man
ayers. Hector McGul and Walter Grin
I ding. never felt quite at home with him
Somehow they knew that he belonged
/ by sympathy 10 the toilers. His sympa-
| thies were entirely with the forecastle.
The afterguard. according TO him, could
| always take care Of itself.
/ Too brilliant at his work OF estimating
distances. directing new dips and shafts.
/ 10 be thrown overheard the higher per-
sonnet Of the Incubus workings eyed him
with distrust. Yet, I'm spite of the respect,
/ and even devotion, the men had for him.
/ Vic Morris awakened no great or en-
! thusiastic love among them He was a
just man He was on their side What
a leader he would make If. with all that
/ he knew and all that he could do. he
were fully TO cast his lot with them!
/ But he neither attracted nor permitted
/ any display of affection or admiration on
\ Tie part OF those under him. He would
\ nave regarded II as breach OF dis
\ cipllne. Still, the fact that he went
nightly to see Dick Finnan's lass" seem
/ ed 70 bring them nearer For Dick work
ed alongside them. and was one Of them
/ selves. None doubted of the issue Was
he not Master Vic. who knew all there
WAS To be known, and whom they would
/ have followed TO the death?
IL CHANGED. one late afternoon in April.
/ rainy April, when the trees dripped
/ drooplly on the dank turf. swelling il I'D
with water like a sponge. and only the
/ pine needles pressed close in solid forty
year layers. afforded a safe and dry
/ passage 10 the cottage at Glebe End that
! Vic Morris and Philip Calmont met there
/ for The first time.
| Hitherto Phil had been 10 the success
ful young engineer only '-one OF the doc
tors gOOd-for- no hings." Vic Morris had
a thorough-going contempt for all kinds
Of talent which could not be practically
( applied He was fond Of saying that
! brains could be expressed either in foot
4 po1 IDS or pounds sterling, by which he
meant either in work done or money earn
/ ed. 1t is no wonder. then. that 10 his
sole friend, Mr.. Ironeray, Of the Kirk on
/ the Hin. he often expressed his contempt
/ for the Calmonts.
a vagrant brood, certainly. but quite
! harmless had been the smiling verdict
/ OF the Cameronian minister.
/ We'll, their father is sending them the
| quickest way TO the devil Vic Norris
had declared. They ought 10 be put 10
work That'would tame their vagrancy. %
/ Now, for the first time. he beheld a Cal
mont within striking distance Phil Cal
mont was sitting quietly in the window
/ corner. looking through the tendrils Of
| last years ivy. and wondering at the lit
[ tie green dabs on Nida's rose stems-dabs
4 which would be Rambler" clusters one
| day-when Morris entered.
/ They had not been introduced. but little
! that mattered 10 VIC Morris. who con-
sidered such ceremonies as only for
weddings sucked in a creed outworn.' -
The engineer stood moment in the
! doorway staring. his shoulders thrown
back, his brows bent Indignantly, and all
/ HIS fair hair bristling like a lions name.
/ He had the surprised, angry look Of some
] ID Ig.rr H..
! (and stranger In possession OF his bone
! and carpet.
But he did not leap upon Philip Cal
mont, who rose with his usual gentle
/ quiet 10 his feet, and bowed. saying.
Miss Bryan has gone out Mr., Finnan
| has not yet arrived. l presume that you
/ have come tossee him.
! Presume" snorted Vic Morris. his
temper suddenly breaking loose, II should
think you do presume, Who are you. sir,
10 dictate my conlings and goings to me?
/ II l choose TO come here every night in
the year. what is that to your"
To this Philip Calmont only replied, If
! possible more gently than before that he
believed that Miss Bryan would be back
/ Immediately. Then he reseated himself.
and became absorbed in the growth Of
the geraniums outside the window They
were all moist with the spring showers.
/ Having done his part, and feeling quite
sure Of his position, he did not trouble
/ HIS head further about the quaint. I'M
certain tempers OF Mr.. Ludovic Morris.
After all. what more natural? He would
| rot have liked such an intrusion him
self. even from the rest OF his family.
| But he was trying TO act up % little Mss
Nunsby's advice to do something for
himself So enthusiastically, he was
beginning with Vida Bryan.
The furniture Of Dicks cottage was all
/ OF dull oak. which had descended TO him
| h1-