The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-10-27

| most careful work. SO feel safe. even
| if you do own patents on the Rhine
strom gun"
You'll be here for the forging?" she
asked
"Of course" be replied I'll be
down in the works experimenting as
much as can"
And L." murmured the girl. half to
herself. will be up here waiting ca
gerly. anXiously. watching for you to
| come with the news that everything
has gone right Oh. what pity it is
that you should invent this gun and
not get anything for your brains and
your labor"
He shook his head. smiling.
NO" he said: Its right That's
part of the contract | made with Uncle
Sam when he took me in at Annapolis.
He educated me. gave me the chance
to work. and promised to devote my
life to him.
Were all merely cogs in the big
machine. Miss Durant. we fellows
from Annapolis and West Point. cogs
in the machine that makes the flag
and the flags the biggest thing to us
you know. It's hard sometimes. fear
fully hard We have to give up lot.
But it's duty. and duty is what we
must think off,
The girl had been looking at him. ad-
miration and just a hint of something
more showing in her face.
Yes" she said at last: latter ALL
you men of the navy and the army are
the real patriots working for your
country You seem to be about the
only ones who do any real sacr1nc1ng.-
Then her voice became more earnest.
But | don't see why you should sac
rifice everything"
The man laughed somewhat grimly.
That's just it, you see," he said
I'VE try not to sacrifice everything.
We always try not to sacrifice our self
respect. | think"
Self respect. fiddlesticks. 1t isn't
self respect men wont sacrifice" she
snapped. Its generally selfshneSs.
Oh. how you men do love to fool
yourselves. You step back and stand
On your dignity. so proud and hard
and rigid. and you pretend you're suf-
fering. that you are heroes who won t
sacrifice self respect. and in reality
you are nothing of the kind You are
simply stupid self deceivers who are
willing to sacrifice your future. hap
piness. everything, on the altar of your
own enthusiastically sacrifice your
selves and sometimes
She paused suddenly, aghast at what
she was about to say
And sometimes:" the man question
ed unsteadily.
And sometimes girls talk more than
they should" she ended sharply. Then
she looked at him with sudden smile
and quick change of mood that batfled
him completely. Il think it's time we
went back to wireless telegraphy, don t
you?"
Baffied. but still somewhat relieved
at being saved from himself. Sommers
turned to the wireless instrument.
You can send and take well?" he
asked.
'Of COURSE" she answered Edward
taught me originally. but I've learned
lot since He's quite an adept too
l learned r. lily because | wanted to
have wireless plant placed on ia
theirs yacht. Perhaps some time when
I'm cruising on the yacht l may pick
you up when you are on your battle
ship and have little chat with YOU
Do you think you'd be glad to bear
from .me!''
lid be glad to hear from you no
matter where l was" be exclaimed
eagerly. land I'D recognize you. too.
whether the message was directed to
me or not"
Il will send 1t to you." she said. with
meaning. land you must recognize it,"
Il will; you may be sure of that" he
agreed earnestly. And now l think
l must be going. It's late"
He turned within tho door and then
started back to the ORA wing room.
Meantime down in the dra wing room
Edward Pinckney had been having an
uncomfortable quarter Of an hour
Marsh had come up from the works
determined to see Mr. Durant.
Pinckney had not told the master
draughtsman of the contract which be
had signed. and Marsh. thoroughly
imbittered with the prospect of losing
everything he had done. hurried up to
the house determined to lay bare the
whole matter before the owner of the
works. throw himself on Durant's mer-
cy and beg that at least he be given
credit for the invention of the Rhine
strom gun.
Fortunately Pinckney had been in
the drawing room when the butler
brought in Marsh 3 name and so had
been able to intercept the man before
he got to Durant
II don't want to talk to you" ex-
claimed the inventor when he entered
and found it was Pinckney and not
Durant he had been shown In to see
II don't want any more Of your soft
talk. You talk and promise. but you
don't do ANYTHING I Oucht RI hovo