Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-08
, Thompson. All Rights Reserved.

"Oh rye patented them air. ex-
claimed Frances. IT don't know that
| any of them amounts to much, but I
patented them just the same. You see.
you're not the only gun inventor, Mr..
Sommers."
Then the Sommers gun has to COM
pete with the Frances Durant gunT'
he asked quizEically.
She shook her head, smiling.
''No; I'll tell you a secret I wouldn't
let them make gun OF mine If could
patent it. but that is just little model
Of the Rhinestrom gun. which Edward
has great faith Ia. Marsh made the
model for me-"
''Oh, the Rhinestrom gunv said Son.
mers, with lifted eyebrows. 1--WE
heard something of that around the
works. Your man Marsh seems to
have great faith in it. Who IL this
RhinestromT
Frances shook her head.
ct don't know. Think he must be
some German. Edward just told me
that we had bought the patents and
controlled them. But that doesn't af-
feet your gun any, does it?'
Sommers looked up from the model
he had been studying.
Frankly" he said, eff this model Is
correct it won't affect my gun. The
Sommers gun has the good points of
this one and a new principle which i
expect VIII partly revolutionize things
for whoever manufactures it
''It all depends on the forging If
my gun is forged right and properly
tempered, well"-he paused, then went
on with q confident smile-"I don't
want to brag, but honestly ! am not
afraid of any gun that ever was cast.
1t win all be in the forging. and tomor-
row Will tell that Well put it through
tomorrow night"
"Oh. hope it goes through all
rightP' cried the girl. 1T must go
through! 1t would be terrible to think
of failure"
Yes" be said grimly, at would"
''It would mean" she asked, ''the
blasting OF your HOPPER
He shrugged his shoulders.
THAT would be a minor considera-
ton. 1t would mean death to the men
who are handling the gun and court
martial and disgrace for me. You see
why I'm interested"
''But there's no chance OF a failure"
she exclaimed, her eyes big with alarm.
Sommers laughed.
Not of the Durant works, I Think
he said. That's why Twas glad when
the government decided to have a gun
cast here. Your fathers plant there
has a reputation for the highest class,
most careful work, so feel safe, even
If you do own patents on the Rhine
strom gun"
you'll be here for the forging2" she
asked
"Of course" he replied. '1'Il be
down In the works experimenting as
much as / can"
And l." murmured the girl. half to
herself. Twill be up here waiting ca
gerly. anxiously, watching for you to
come with the news that everything
has gone right. Oh, what a pity It is
that you should invent this gun and
not get anything for your brains and
your laborp'
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 10 oeVote my
life to him.
We're all merely cogs in the big
machine. Miss Durant. we fellows
from Annapolis and West Point, cogs
In the machine that makes the Gag.
and the flags the biggest thing to as,
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 Of"
YES" she said at last; "after 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 sacrificing"
Then her voice became more earnest. /
But don't see why you should sac
rffce everything
The man laughed somewhat grimly. |
That's just it. you see,' he said. /
We try not to sacrifice. everything.