The Detroit times., 1908-04-30
BY W. HOLT WHITE.

, turbed a little more. The funeral
shall be labor of love. II will be
fitting interment to take place be-
meath the feet OF Cupid"
Strong's was one OF those essential
~ animal natures which. as yet >un-
awakened TO any finer feeling regard
life and death and all the niceties OF
both extremely lightly. And so he
only flashed his white teeth in uncon-
cerned amusement at Mr.. Jones ghast-
~ pleasantly.
The man IN the launch was little
white about the gills. but he only lick
ed his lips under his waxen mustache
and drew himself little straighter.
He was not in the position to object
TO Jokes OF even the most offensive
kind.
Mr. Jones went down TO the waters,
edge and surveyed the dead man.
'If my friend takes him by the
head" DO said. "and You by the feet"
and here he nodded TO the man In
ahe launch--"the burden should not
be heavy In spite OF the weight upon
our consciences. I viii confine my
own exertions to pointing out the
way"
The very callousness OF the whole
proceeding increased Strong's interest.
and Il was without quail that he
stepped into the launch and raised the
shoulders OF the dead man. He did
net even finch when the corpses head
s4gged sullenly against his knee
The man in the launch. however.
shuddered little as he lifted UP the
dead mans feet.
The bearers OF the dead man step
ped ashore. Jones. careful even now
of the stump OF his cigar. led the way
through the blithely blooming rho
dodendrons.
The way was not long one. In y
little clearing gaudy plaster Cupid.
apparently petrified In the midst OF a
gambol, poised on whitewashed
leg on a painfully suburban pedestal.
The earth around the pedestal was
broken.
Put him down." said Jones. And
they laid the dead man down, his eyes
staring and his mouth gaping at tho
bright blossoms OF the rhodcdendrons
above him. II was very quiet and the
biackbirds piped in the bushes.
Jones leant the spade against the
plaster Cunid and Stong proved him
self a man OF action by Immediately
Selling IL, and without word. be-
ginning 10 throw up the wet earth.
Only those whose lot IL has been
In peace or war to dig a grave can
know the labor OF IL and the time that
labor takes.
Strong dug steadily for some ten
minutes, and then handed the spade
to the Sylvanian. who had stripped OF
his coat and stood waiting.
Jones piastered the end Of his cigar
under his heel, then pulled OFF his
coat. He rolled up his short sleeves.
and Strong perceived that the king OF
Bahama possessed great arms that
would not have disgraced the tradi-
tiopai village blacksmith.
Then for the next two hours or so
the three men dug. turn and Turn
about, sweltering In the warmth OF an
aDpormally hot May afternoon.
While they worked none OF them
spoke. IL was quite unnecessary, for
they had nothing to say, but that
which they saw they had better keep
10 themselves.
Strong, however, was thinking fair
ly deeply for him. He was thinking
not OF Jones secret. but OF his own
secret. which lay across the river be
hind his little bungalow. He was
thinking of his friend. Joe Langley,
the weird. uncouth, lanky brother
undergraduate whose genius for me
chanical invention had assuredly
marked him out TO be one OF Oxford's
greatest scholastic failures. Tha.
Langley, however. wsuld be failure
in life was impossible. Devoted ina
kdoglike way TO Strong, he mad attach
ed himself to the more decided per-
sonality with pertinacious affection
and blind faith which only women
and inventors are capable Of. And
his invention was one Of which the
world had long been dreaming. long
expecting. long hoping for in a some
what scared way.