Gunnison news-champion., 1914-12-11

dozen such erstt"
rase. assrrrea Lae captain.
Il don't say he amt either" return
ed Gotz quickly HE may believe oil
he says-.probably does He taiks o.
n be did But II he Is he can't he hurt
by our looki ing the matter up. can hel'
'No-o." grudged Monsel But ]
hate the delay Honestly. ! believe
we're about due for trouble. still
maybe you're right III sleep On T. }
guess"
IAN right Take your time" Gssz
rOss. Il don't want 10 hurry yeg
boys You know lin ON the misess
committee. and ! have to watch the
little dollars to Keep you from blowing
them In. Well. think II over before n
comes up again. Good night
And while the member Of congress
ran his car back to his home with u
satisfied smile on his face young
man sat alone In room In the house
Of his fathers friend and buried hi
face IN his hands
He was an unhappy young man. foi
a castle built Of air, through years II
patient toiling. had tumbled rudel,
about his ears His first contact witt
the world he did not know had bruised
a proud and sensitive spirit which
had as yet failed to react from tn,
buffeting II had received And. like
the native creatures Of the wilds. hurt
wounded. he longed for his wei
A.. n;
hurt.
By sort of mental reflex hi
thoughts ran to the hut in the noun
tains and to his father the one com
panion he had known well since h
was a child.
He reviewed all their life and plan
ming for the last few years since they
had worried ON the airship plans; re
called all their dreams of perfecting II
and taking il to their country To add
to her prestige and strength. working
gradually up to that day when success
was finally theirs. and that which had
been in the future became the fact of
the present. and the hermit of twenty
years had turned to him ana said:
''Son. you shall take the trip now
at last. and take the airship with you.
and he will smooth the way for you.
Fred and | were chums in college. and
] know he'll help you in this. Ii seems
as though fate must have put him at
the head of the nations board at this
time so as to make things easy for u.s."
He recalled the trip he had made.
the ride over the thirty miles Of trail,
the journey by motor and rail. each
step Of it a revelation to his unsophisti
Gated mind. in which he had seen for
the first time in life the things which
heretofore had been only names to him
And he smiled
So perfect had been his instruction
that he had known each thing as he
saw it and accepted 1t without undue
surprise. Only at the end of the jour
ney had anything occurred to disturb
him. and that was the utter discom
fiture of all his plans-the discovery
that. even in the nation's seat of pow
er, the old story of twenty years ago
still lived to bar one of his name from
acceptance
He clinched his hands. Had there
been Justice in 1t. 1t would have been
less hard to understand. But its in
justice ranked like 4 poisoned barb.
He rose. drew paper from one of his
cases. and a pen from his pocket Then.
seating himself ut q table equipped
with a miniature bedside eiectrolier
he began TO write:
Dear Miss Gethelds-I am going back u
the hills and seek to gain some Of their
strength in my soul Twenty years of Sc
clusion have not fitted me TO cope with
men OF the world But have seen and 1
ehall study for the time which even some
here. as ! believe. think is coming
Remember me to your kind father. And
please do not think II q boyish pique or
disincination to face the issue which
takes me away. II is merely an under
standing Of the present situation. when
dollars. no matter how made. count for
more than life or liberty or country or
honor. No. dear friend, | am not bitter.
though my words sound like It / just see
how II Is. But | told YOU tonight "
ever my country needs me-reaIly needs
me-or you. If you should need me. / will
be ready. and ! shall come. Most sin
cerely. MEADE STILLNAN
Inclosing this In an envelope ad
dressed to Bernice. he left it on the
table. rose and packed his bags. Then
he sat down and waited until the house
grew quiet One O'Clock came, and 2.
The moon was riding far over in the
west He rose and tiptoed into the
hall u the silent house. carrying his
caAa