Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-01-07

mucn as | can.
"And L." murmured the girl, half to
herself. Twill be up here waiting ca
gerly. a~nxiously. 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 labori"
He shook his head. smiling.
NO" he said: Its right That's
part of the contract | made with Uncle
Sam when be took me in at Annapolis.
He educated me. gave me the chance
to work. and l promised to devote my
life to him.
Were all merely cogs in the big
machine. Miss Durant. we fellows
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 a lot.
But It's duty. and duty is what we
must think Of"
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: 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 l don't see why you should sac
ri6ce everything"
The man laughed somewhat grimly.
That's just 1t. you see," he said.
I'VE try not to sacrifice everything.
We always try not to sacrifice our self
respect. | think"
self respect. iddlesticksa. 1t isn't
self respect men won't sacfitice," she
snapped. Its generally selfshness.
Oh. how you men do love to fool
yourselves! You step back and stand
on you 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 la 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.
Aud sometimes girls talk more than
ffey Should. She ended sharply. TheI
she looked at him with a sudden smile
and quick change of mood that bafieC
him completely. Il think it's time W,
went back to wireless ~telegraphy, DON
your"
Baf1ed. but still somewhat relieved
at being saved from himself, Sommer'
turned to the wireless instrument.
"You can send aud take well?" b,
asked.
'Of course" she answered. edward
taught me originally, but I've learned
a lot since. He's quite an adept too
l learned really because l wanted t
have a wireless plant placed on ia
theirs yacht. Perhaps some time wher
I'm cruising on the yacht l may picl
you up when you are on your battle
ship and have a little chat with you
Do you think you'd be glad to heaI
from me?"
I'D be glad to hear from you NJ
matter where l was" he exclaimed
eagerly. land I'd recognize you. too
whether the message was directed Z
me or not"
81 will send it to you." she said, will
meaning, land you must recognize 1t.
II will; you may be sure of that" h'
agreed earnestly. And now l thinl
1 must be going. It's late"
He turned within the door and theI
started back to the drawing room.
Meantime down In the drawing room
Edward Pinckney had been having al
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's 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 beer shown in to see
II don't want any more of your soft
talk. You talk and promise. but you
don't do anything. | ought to have
known better thar to trust o the
other day when you fooled me down
at the works with all that stuff about
giving me a chance. felt In my
haart Won Wnrpn'f going TO do If. hut.