The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-01-20

your room. A~
Thanks, old S
fellow-not now" ~
why, yes! ~N
expected you'd HA>A
have your room %[H/Br ~.
here, PHIL @W
Its very good a.
Of you, Boots, EE7M-xJHSG
but 1 can't doE7SslLszz sY
it." w. S3vNdIM
Lansing faced
him. Won t Found Lansing sit
youg" ting on pIc OF
Selwyn, smil- """'V rugs
ing. shook his head, and the other
knew it was final.
well, the room will be there, fur
nished the way you and like it.
When you want it make smoke sig
nails or wigwag."
Il will, thank you, Boots"
Lansing said unaffectedly. How soon
do you think yoE can AFFORD a house
like thisT
Il don't know. You see. I've only my
income now"
Plus what you make at the odlce."
"I've left Neergard"
"Whatv'
"This morning; for good"
''The deucew he murmured, looking
at Selwyn; but the latter volunteered
no further information, and Lansing,
having given him the chance, cheer
fully switched to the other track.
Shall see whether the Air Line
has anything in your line, Phil? No?
Well, what are you going to do?"
II don't exactly know what 1 shall
do. If l hid capital-enough-It think
I'd start in making bulk and dense
powders-all sorts; gun cotton, nitro
powders
"You mean you'd like to go on with
your own invention-chaositeg'
"I'd like to keep on experimenting
with It IL could afford to. Perhaps
will. But it's not yet a commercial
possibility-if it ever Is to be. l wish
could control it: the ignition is stimuli
taneous and absolutely complete. and
there is not q trace of ash. not an un-
burned or partly burned particle. But
it's not to be trusted, and l don't know
what happens to it after a years stor-
age"
Anyway" said Lansing, you've
nothing to worry over"
mo, nothing" assented Selwyn list
lessly.
After Il silence Lansing added, "But
you do a lot of worrying all the same,
Phil"
Selwyn flushed up and denied it.
Yes, you do! 1 don't believe you
realize how much of the time you are
out of spirits"
Does it impress you that way
asked Selwyn, mortified, "because I'm
really all right?'
"Of course you are, Phil. know it,
but you don't seem to realize it.
You're morbid, I'm afraid"
you've been talking to my sister,
"What of it? Besides, 1 knew there
was something the matter"
You know what it is too. And
isn't it enough TO subdue mans spir-
its occasionally?"
NO" said Lansing, "if you mean
your-mistake-two years ago. That
isn't enough to spoil life for man.
I've wanted to tell you so for a long
time"
And as Selwyn said nothing: For
heavens sake, make up your mind to
enjoy your life! You are fitted to en-
joy it. Get that absurd notion out of
your head that you're done for, that
you've no home life in prospect, no
family life, no children"
"Do you mean to say, Boots, that
you think a man who has made the
ghastly mess of his life that l have
ought to feel free to marryT'
think it! Man, l know it. Ger
tainly you ought to marry if you wish,
but, above all, you ought to feel free
to marry. That is the essential equip
ment of man. He isn't man if he
feels that he isn't free to marry. He
may not want to do it, he may not be
In love. That's neither here nor there.
The main thing is that he is free as n
man should be to take any good oppor-
tunity, and marriage is included in the
list of good opportunities"
Sitting there in the carpetless room
piled high with dusty, linen shrouded
furniture, Selwyn looked around, an
involuntary smile twitching his mouth.
"What about your marrying" he
said, "after this talk about mine?
What about it, Boots? Is this new
house the first modest step toward the
matrimony you laud so loudlyT
"Sure," said that gentleman airily.
"That's what I'm here for"
Really"
"Well, of course, idiot. I've always
been in love-"
"You mean you actually have some
body in view?"
''No, son. I've always been in love
with-love. Pm a sentimental sentry
on the ramparts Of reason. I'm prop
erly armed for trouble now, so If I'm
challenged 1 won't let my chance slip
by me-"
After a little while Selwyn went
away, first to look up book which he
was having bound for Eileen, then to
call on his sister, who, with Eileen,
had Just returned from a week at Sill