The Glenwood post., 1916-04-22

Of loafers like us crawl across his
girders? What you and l are staring
at is just plain common garden work
with capital W, stark naked and
ugly, but it's great
"And wight there saw the light. To
us two the mystery of Ten Percent
Wayne was revealed. He could drive
men. He could make bricks without
straw. While work was on, nothing
else mattered. Right and wrong were
and death was too good for the shirk-
er. And with the light forgot the
brute in the man tearing along the
dizzy height of the girder to lash a
loafer and only remembered that he
had risked his life to avenge just one
moment stolen from the days work"
The stem of Collingeford's wine
glass snapped between his fingers.
I'm sorry" he said, laying the pieces
aside. He smiled little nervously
on the three tense faces before him.
81 don't tell that story often. 1t goes
too deep. Not everybody understands.
Some people call Wayne no better than
a murderer; but I'm not one of them.
And Bodsky says there have been a
lot of murderers he'd like to take to
his club"
u. Y, there's somebody listening
at the door," said the captain. "Been
there some time"
]. Y. swung around and threw open
the door. He sprang forward and
caught Glen in the act of flight. He
brought her back into the room and
sat down, holding her upright beside
him. ]. Y. was proud and for mo-
ment Collingeford's presence CALLED
him. "What were you doing, Clem?"
he asked.
Clematis was in that degree of en-
barrassment and disarray which
makes lovely youth shade more love-
ly. Her brown hair was tumbled
about her face and down her back.
Her cheeks were flushed and her thin
white neck seemed to tremble above
the deep red of her slightly yoked
frock. Her lips were moist and parted
in excitement. She was sixteen and
beautiful beyond the reach of hack
neyed phrases. The four men fixed
their eyes upon her, and she dropped
hers. 81 was eavesdropping," she said
in voice that was very low but
clear.
"Why, Clemr' said ]. Y. gravely.
Glen looked around on the four men.
She did not seem afraid. Unconscious
ly they waited for her to go on. and
she did. "Mr. Collingeford was telling
about Alan. 1 heard Charley say he
was going to. l shall always caves
drop when anyone tells about Alan"
For a second her auditors were
stunned by the audacity. Collinge
ford's face was the first to light up and
his hand came down on the table with
bang. Bully for you, young 'unr'
he cried and his clear laugh could be
heard on the lawn. Before it was
over, the judge Joined in, the captain
grunted his merriest grunt and ]. Y.
patted Clem's shoulder and smiled.
Glen was Of the salt Of the earth
among womankind-the kind that
waits to weep till the battle is over
and then becomes a thousand times
more dear in her weakness. Her big
eyes had been yelling with tears and
now they jumped the barrier just as
Nance rushed in and cried, What are
you all laughing at?" Then she caught
sight of Glen. From her she looked
around on the men. You four big
hulking brutes," she said. "Come to
me, Glen, you darling. What have
they been doing to you? There, there,
don't cry. Men are silly things. What
If they did laugh at you?"
Glen was sobbing on Nance's shoul-
der. at isn't that" she gasped. II
don't-mind-that! But Mr.. Coliinge-
ford ca-called me young one.'"
The three gray-heads kept their
faces with difficulty. Collingeford
leaped to his feet. "My dear young
lady-Miss Clematis-" he stammered,
'my word, now! I didn't mean 1t.
Swear l didn't. I'll do anything II
you'll only stop crying. Do stop and
listen to me. I'll grovel."
1t took him an hour to make his
peace. te