River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-11-12

"The property loss would pay for
dozen such craft"
hang things up till we find out just
where we stand. Then we can be sure
Of what we do"
That's fair enough as | see it.
agreed Harter. Don't you think SO.
Seaton?'
Il think Mr. Gotz has at feast show
ed US a grave possibility for future
trouble unless we proceed with great
caution" responded the naval mem
Der.
Monsel chuckled Il always did like
a gamble" he declared.
That's why you're willing to risk
your neck in our machines" rejoined
GOtz.
Il believe the boys square, at any
rate" asserted the captain.
81 don't say he amt either" return
ed Gotz quickly. He may believe all
he says-probably does He talks as
if he did But if he is he can't be hurt
by our looking the matter up. can he?''
Moo" grudged Monsel But |
hate the delay Honestly, | believe
we're about due for trouble. Still
maybe you're right. I'll sleep ON it, /
guess"
Cali right Take your time" Gotz
rose II don't want to hurry you
boys You know I'm on the misers'
committee. and | have to watch the
little dollars to keep you from blowing
them in. Well, think it over before it
comes up again Good night
And while the member of congress
ran his car back to his home with a
satisfied smile on his face a young
man sat alone in a room in the house
of his fathers friend and buried his
face in his hands.
He was an unhappy young man, for
"A castle built of air, through years of
patient toiling. had tumbled rudely
about his ears His first contact with
the world he did not know had bruised
a proud and sensitive spirit which
had as yet failed to react from the
buffeting it had received. And like
the native creatures of the wilds. hurt,
wounded, be longed for his well
known solitudes in which to nurse his
hurt
BY sort of mental reflex his
thoughts ran to the hut in the noun
tains and to his father, the one com
panion he had known we'll since he
was a child.
He reviewed all their life ana plan
ming for the last few years since they
had worked on the airship plans; re-
called all their dreams of perfecting it
and taking it 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 and said:
''Son. you shall take the trip now.
ut last. and take the airship with you
] will write to my old friend Gethelds
and he will smooth the way for you
Fred and / were chums in college, and
know he'll help you in this. 1t 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 US. :
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 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 bis instruction
that he had known each thing as he
saw it and accepted it without undue
surprise. Only at the end of the jour
ney had anything occurred to disturb
him. and that was the utter discom
future of all his plans-the. discovery
that, even in the nations seat of pow
er, the old story of twenty years agt.
still lived to bar one of his name from
acceptance.
He clinched his hands. Had there
been justice in it. It would have been
less hard to understand. But it's in
justice ranked like a poisoned barb.
He rose, drew paper from one of his
cases. and pen from his pocket. Then
seating himself at table equipped
with a miniature bedside electrolier.
he began to write:
Dear Miss Gethelds-I am going back 10
the hills and seek to gain some of their